Sprinkle vs. Dash — What's the Difference?

To disperse tiny amounts of something lightly and evenly.

To add a small, quick amount of a seasoning or liquid.

To scatter small particles or droplets evenly over a surface.

To add something as a finishing touch in a quick manner.

To apply a small amount of something in a controlled manner.

A very small quantity of a condiment or flavoring.

To distribute a substance uniformly across a surface.

A swift or sudden addition to enhance flavor.

To spread or place sporadically across a wide area.

An unspecified but very small quantity.

To scatter in drops or particles

The dash is a punctuation mark that is similar in appearance to the hyphen and minus sign but differs from these symbols in length and, in some fonts, height above the baseline. The most common versions of the dash are the en dash –, longer than the hyphen; the em dash —, longer than the en dash; and the horizontal bar ―, whose length varies across typefaces but tends to be between those of the en and em dashes.

To scatter drops or particles on

Run or travel somewhere in a great hurry

To intersperse with something as if by scattering

Strike or fling (something) somewhere with great force, especially so as to have a destructive effect; hurl

To distribute or intersperse at random

Used to express mild annoyance

To scatter something in drops or particles.

An act of running somewhere suddenly and hastily

To fall or rain in small or infrequent drops.

A small quantity of a liquid added to something else

The act of sprinkling.

A horizontal stroke in writing or printing to mark a pause or break in sense or to represent omitted letters or words.

A light rainfall.

Impetuous or flamboyant vigour and confidence; panache

A small amount; a sprinkling.

Short for dashboard

Sprinkles Small particles of candy sprinkled on ice cream as a topping.

To move with haste; rush

(transitive) To cause (a substance) to fall in fine drops (for a liquid substance) or small pieces (for a solid substance).

To strike violently; smash

(transitive) To cover (an object) by sprinkling a substance on to it.

To break or smash by striking violently

(intransitive) To drip in fine drops, sometimes sporadically.

To hurl, knock, or thrust with sudden violence

(intransitive) To rain very lightly outside.

To remove by striking or wiping

(transitive) To baptize by the application of a few drops, or a small quantity, of water; hence, to cleanse; to purify.

To splash; bespatter

A light covering with a sprinkled substance.

To write hastily. Often used with off

A light rain shower.

To drink hastily. Often used with down

An aspersorium or utensil for sprinkling.

To add an enlivening or altering element to

A small hard piece of sugar and starch, or chocolate, used to decorate cakes etc.

To affect by adding another element or ingredient to

To scatter in small drops or particles, as water, seed, etc.

To destroy or wreck

To scatter on; to disperse something over in small drops or particles; to besprinkle; as, to sprinkle the earth with water; to sprinkle a floor with sand.

To discourage or dispirit

To baptize by the application of a few drops, or a small quantity, of water; hence, to cleanse; to purify.

To damn.

To scatter a liquid, or any fine substance, so that it may fall in particles.

A swift, violent blow or stroke

To rain moderately, or with scattered drops falling now and then; as, it sprinkles.

A splash

To fly or be scattered in small drops or particles.

A small amount of an added ingredient

A small quantity scattered, or sparsely distributed; a sprinkling.

A quick stroke, as with a pencil or brush.

A utensil for sprinkling; a sprinkler.

A sudden movement; a rush

A light shower that falls in some locations and not others nearby

(Sports) A footrace, usually less than a quarter-mile long, run at top speed from the outset.

The act of sprinkling or splashing water;

A spirited quality in action or style; verve.

Distribute loosely;

Either of two symbols, an emdash or an endash, used in writing and in printing.

Cause (a liquid) to spatter about, especially with force;

In Morse and similar codes, the long sound or signal used in combination with the dot and silent intervals to represent letters or numbers.

Rain gently;

A dashboard.

Scatter with liquid; wet lightly;

(typography) Any of the following symbols: ‒ (figure dash), – (en dash), — (em dash), or ― (horizontal bar).

(computing) A hyphen or minus sign.

(by extension) The longer of the two symbols of Morse code.

A short run, flight.

A rushing or violent onset.

Violent strike; a whack.

A small quantity of a liquid substance etc.; less than 1/8 of a teaspoon.

A slight admixture.

Ostentatious vigor.

A dashboard.

A bribe or gratuity; a gift.

A stand-in for a censored word, like "Devil" or "damn". (Compare deuce.)

The dashboard of a Tumblr user.

(intransitive) To run quickly or for a short distance.

To leave or depart.

(transitive) To destroy by striking (against).

(transitive) To throw violently.

To sprinkle; to splatter.

To mix, reduce, or adulterate, by throwing in something of an inferior quality.

To ruin; to destroy.

(transitive) To dishearten; to sadden.

To complete hastily.

(transitive) To draw or write quickly; jot.

Damn in forming oaths.

(euphemistic) Damn!

To throw with violence or haste; to cause to strike violently or hastily; - often used with against.

To break, as by throwing or by collision; to shatter; to crust; to frustrate; to ruin.

To put to shame; to confound; to confuse; to abash; to depress.

To throw in or on in a rapid, careless manner; to mix, reduce, or adulterate, by throwing in something of an inferior quality; to overspread partially; to bespatter; to touch here and there; as, to dash wine with water; to dash paint upon a picture.

To form or sketch rapidly or carelessly; to execute rapidly, or with careless haste; - with off; as, to dash off a review or sermon.

To erase by a stroke; to strike out; knock out; - with out; as, to dash out a word.

To rush with violence; to move impetuously; to strike violently; as, the waves dash upon rocks.

Violent striking together of two bodies; collision; crash.

A sudden check; abashment; frustration; ruin; as, his hopes received a dash.

A slight admixture, infusion, or adulteration; a partial overspreading; as, wine with a dash of water; red with a dash of purple.

A rapid movement, esp. one of short duration; a quick stroke or blow; a sudden onset or rush; as, a bold dash at the enemy; a dash of rain.

Energy in style or action; animation; spirit.

A vain show; a blustering parade; a flourish; as, to make or cut a great dash.

A mark or line [-], in writing or printing, denoting a sudden break, stop, or transition in a sentence, or an abrupt change in its construction, a long or significant pause, or an unexpected or epigrammatic turn of sentiment. Dashes are also sometimes used instead of marks or parenthesis.

The sign of staccato, a small mark [ ] denoting that the note over which it is placed is to be performed in a short, distinct manner.

A short, spirited effort or trial of speed upon a race course; - used in horse racing, when a single trial constitutes the race.

Distinctive and stylish elegance;

A quick run

A footrace run at top speed;

A punctuation mark (-) used between parts of a compound word or between the syllables of a word when the word is divided at the end of a line of text

The longer of the two telegraphic signals used in Morse code

The act of moving with great haste;

Run or move very quickly or hastily;

Break into pieces, as by striking or knocking over;

Hurl or thrust violently;

Destroy or break;

Cause to lose courage;

Add an enlivening or altering element to;

Both liquids and solids can be sprinkled evenly over a surface.

Sprinkling is ideal when a consistent, even distribution is desired for flavor or appearance.

You can dash both solids and liquids, like spices or sauces.

Sprinkling may involve shakers or spoons, while dashing is usually done directly from a container.

Sprinkling grated cheese over pasta is a common garnishing example.

Yes, these terms are used metaphorically, like sprinkling kindness or adding a dash of humor.

Generally, no, dashing is meant to subtly enhance flavor rather than alter texture.

Sprinkle usually involves moderate, even amounts, while dash indicates a very small quantity.

No, dash is an informal measurement, typically a few drops or a pinch.

Yes, a dash often serves as a finishing touch to enhance flavor.

They are similar, but a dash often involves liquids, while a pinch usually refers to solids.

Both can be crucial for achieving the desired flavor balance in a dish.

Yes, especially with potent spices or flavors like salt or chili, even small amounts can have a strong impact.

Use controlled motions and taste as you go to ensure balanced seasoning.

Yes, they often use these small amounts to perfect the final flavor of dishes.