schmaltz
or schmalz
[ shmahlts, shmawlts ]
/ ʃmɑlts, ʃmɔlts /
noun
Informal. exaggerated sentimentalism, as in music or soap operas.
fat or grease, especially of a chicken.
RELATED WORDS
Nearby words
schlub, schlumbergera, schlump, schm-, schmalkalden, schmaltz, schmaltzy, schmatte, schmear, schmeling, schmendrick
Origin of schmaltz
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for schmaltz
British Dictionary definitions for schmaltz
schmaltz
schmalz
/ (ʃmælts, ʃmɔːlts) /
noun
excessive sentimentality, esp in music
US animal fat used in cooking
Word Origin for schmaltz
C20: from German (Schmalz) and Yiddish: melted fat, from Old High German smalz
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for schmaltz
schmaltz
"banal or excessive sentimentalism," 1935, from Yiddish shmalts, literally "melted fat," from Middle High German smalz, from Old High German smalz "animal fat," related to smelzan "to melt" (see smelt (v.)). Modern German Schmalz "fat, grease" has the same figurative meaning. First mentioned in English as "a derogatory term used to describe straight jazz" ["Vanity Fair," Nov. 1935].
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper