smear

[ smeer ]
See synonyms for smear on Thesaurus.com
verb (used with object)
  1. to spread or daub (an oily, greasy, viscous, or wet substance) on or over something: to smear butter on bread.

  2. to spread or daub an oily, greasy, viscous, or wet substance on: to smear bread with butter.

  1. to stain, spot, or make dirty with something oily, greasy, viscous, or wet.

  2. to sully, vilify, or soil (a reputation, good name, etc.).

  3. to smudge or blur, as by rubbing: The signature was smeared.

  4. Slang. to defeat decisively; overwhelm: They smeared the home team.

noun
  1. an oily, greasy, viscous, or wet substance, especially a dab of such a substance.

  2. a stain, spot, or mark made by such a substance.

  1. a smudge.

  2. something smeared or to be smeared on a thing, as a glaze for pottery.

  3. a small quantity of something spread thinly on a slide for microscopic examination.

  4. vilification: a smear by a cheap gossip columnist.

Origin of smear

1
before 900; (v.) Middle English smeren, smirien to rub with fat, anoint, Old English smirian, smerian, smerwan; cognate with Dutch smeren,German schmieren,Old Norse smyrja, smyrwa; (noun) in current senses derivative of the v.; compare obsolete smear fat, grease, ointment, Middle English smere,Old English smeoru, cognate with Dutch smear,German Schmer,Old Norse smjǫr grease, Greek smýris rubbing powder; see emery

Other words from smear

  • smearer, noun
  • un·smeared, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use smear in a sentence

  • Stained smears show only slight variations in size, shape, and staining properties of the red cells.

    A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis | James Campbell Todd
  • When considerable numbers are present, they can be detected and often identified in cover-glass smears.

    A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis | James Campbell Todd
  • Several smears should be made, dried, and fixed as described under Sputum (p. 32).

    A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis | James Campbell Todd
  • When it is inconvenient to stain before the smears have dried, capsules can be shown by the method of Hiss.

    A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis | James Campbell Todd
  • The diagnosis is certain when the bacilli are found within groups of cells which have not been disassociated in making the smears.

    A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis | James Campbell Todd

British Dictionary definitions for smear

smear

/ (smɪə) /


verb(mainly tr)
  1. to bedaub or cover with oil, grease, etc

  2. to rub over or apply thickly

  1. to rub so as to produce a smudge

  2. to slander

  3. US slang to defeat completely

  4. (intr) to be or become smeared or dirtied

noun
  1. a dirty mark or smudge

    • a slanderous attack

    • (as modifier): smear tactics

  1. a preparation of blood, secretions, etc, smeared onto a glass slide for examination under a microscope

Origin of smear

1
Old English smeoru (n); related to Old Norse smjör fat, Old High German smero, Greek muron ointment

Derived forms of smear

  • smearer, noun

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