sprinkling

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. A small amount or quantity; a modicum.
2. n. A small quantity scattered or sparsely distributed.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. The act of one who sprinkles, in any sense of the word; aspersion.
2. n. A small quantity falling in distinct drops or parts, or coming moderately: as, a sprinkling of rain or snow.
3. n. A small amount scattered here and there, as if sprinkled.
4. n. In bookbinding, the operation of scattering a shower of fine drops of color on the trimmed edges of the leaves to produce a mottled effect. It is done by striking a brush charged with color against a rod held above the edges of the book to be sprinkled.

Wiktionary

1. v. present participle of sprinkle.
2. n. The action of the verb to sprinkle.
3. n. A small amount of (some liquid, powder or other fine substance) that is sprinkled on to something.
4. n. A light shower of rain.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. The act of one who, or that which, sprinkles.
2. n. A small quantity falling in distinct drops or particles.
3. n. Hence, a moderate number or quantity distributed like separate drops, or as if scattered like drops.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. a light shower that falls in some locations and not others nearby
2. n. the act of sprinkling or splashing water
3. n. a small number (of something) dispersed haphazardly
4. n. the act of sprinkling water in baptism (rare)