Word Study
smear
CIDE DICTIONARY
smear, v. t. [OE. smeren, smerien, AS. smierwan, smyrwan, fr. smeoru fat, grease; akin to D. smeren, OHG. smirwen, G. schmieren, Icel. smyrja to anoint. See Smear, n. ].
- To overspread with anything unctuous, viscous, or adhesive; to daub; as, to smear anything with oil. Shak. [1913 Webster]
- To soil in any way; to contaminate; to pollute; to stain morally; as, to be smeared with infamy. Shak. [1913 Webster]
- To smudge, blur, or render indistinct (writing, pictures, etc.). [PJC]
- to vilify (a person); to damage (a person's reputation), especially falsely or by unfair innuendo, and with malicious intent. [PJC]
smear, n. [OE. smere,. smeoru fat, grease; akin to D. smeer, G. schmeer, OHG. smero, Icel. smjör, Sw. & Dan. smör butter, Goth. smaír fatness, smarna dung; cf. Lith. smarsas fat. Cf. Smirch.].
- A fat, oily substance; oinment. Johnson. [1913 Webster]
- Hence, a spot made by, or as by, an unctuous or adhesive substance; a blot or blotch; a daub; a stain. [1913 Webster]"Slow broke the morn,
All damp and rolling vapor, with no sun,
But in its place a moving smear of light." [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
smear, v. & n.
--v.tr.
1 daub or mark with a greasy or sticky substance or with something that stains.
2 blot; smudge; obscure the outline of (writing, artwork, etc.).
3 defame the character of; slander; attempt to or succeed in discrediting (a person or his name) publicly.
--n.
1 the act or an instance of smearing.
2 Med. a material smeared on a microscopic slide etc. for examination. b a specimen of this.
--v.tr.
1 daub or mark with a greasy or sticky substance or with something that stains.
2 blot; smudge; obscure the outline of (writing, artwork, etc.).
3 defame the character of; slander; attempt to or succeed in discrediting (a person or his name) publicly.
--n.
1 the act or an instance of smearing.
2 Med. a material smeared on a microscopic slide etc. for examination. b a specimen of this.
Idiom
smear test = cervical smear.
Derivative
smearer n. smeary adj.
Etymology
OE smierwan f. Gmc
THESAURUS
smear
anoint, apply paint, asperse, aspersion, attack, attaint, badge of infamy, bar sinister, baton, beat, bedaub, bedizen, beeswax, befoul, begild, begrime, bend sinister, besmear, besmirch, besmoke, besmutch, besoil, bespatter, bestain, black, black eye, black mark, blacken, blackening, blank, bloodstain, blot, blotch, blow upon, blur, brand, broad arrow, brush on paint, bulldoze, butter, calcimine, call names, calumniate, calumny, censure, champain, character assassination, clobber, coat, color, complexion, cover, cream, dab, darken, daub, deep-dye, defamation, defamation of character, defame, defeat utterly, defile, defilement, denigrate, denigration, dip, dirty, disapprove, discolor, discredit, disparage, disparagement, distemper, double-dye, dress, drub, dye, emblazon, embrocate, enamel, engage in personalities, engild, expose, expose to infamy, eyesore, face, fast-dye, fleck, flick, flyspeck, foil, fresco, frustrate, gibbet, gild, glaze, gloss, glycerolate, grain, grease, grease the wheels, hang in effigy, heap dirt upon, hue, illuminate, imbue, imputation, ingrain, japan, lacquer, lambaste, lard, lay on, lay on color, libel, lick, lubricate, macula, maculation, macule, malicious defamation, mark, mark of Cain, muckrake, muckraking, mudslinging, name-calling, oil, onus, overbear, overlay, overspread, overwhelm, paint, parget, paste, patch, pigment, pillory, pillorying, plaster, point champain, pomade, prime, reflection, reprimand, reproach, repulse, revile, revilement, rub, salve, scandal, scandalize, schmear, scorch, sear, shade, shadow, shellac, shut out, singe, skunk, slander, slap on, slather, slick, slick on, slop on paint, slubber, slur, smear campaign, smear on, smear word, smirch, smoke, smooth the way, smother, smouch, smudge, smut, smutch, snow under, soap the ways, soil, soilage, soilure, spatter, speck, speckle, splash, splatter, splotch, spot, spread, spread on, spread with, stain, steamroller, stigma, stigmatism, stigmatization, stigmatize, stipple, sully, taint, tar, tarnish, thrash, throw mud at, tinct, tincture, tinge, tint, tone, trim, undercoat, unguent, varnish, vilification, vilify, wash, wax, whelm, whitewash, whomp, whop, wipeROGET THESAURUS
smear
Uncleanness
VB be unclean, become unclean, rot, putrefy, ferment, fester, rankle, reek, stink, mold, molder, go bad, render unclean, dirt, dirty, daub, blot, blur, smudge, smutch, soil, smoke, tarnish, slaver, spot, smear, smirch, begrease, dabble, drabble, draggle, daggle, spatter, slubber, besmear, bemire, beslime, begrime, befoul, splash, stain, distain, maculate, sully, pollute, defile, debase, contaminate, taint, leaven, corrupt, cover with dust, drabble in the mud, roil, wallow in the mire, slobber, slabber.For further exploring for "smear" in Webster Dictionary Online
