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Spotted memoir, essentially named One Broke Loose (7)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

mottled

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'spotted' is the definition.
(mottling is a kind of spotting)

I cannot understand how the rest of the clue works.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for mottled that I've seen before include "Marked with irregular patches of colour" , "Blotchy" , "Having blotches of colour" , "Marked with spots" , "Blotched" .)

I've seen this clue in the Sydney Morning Herald.
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