smelt

[ smelt ]

/ smɛlt /

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See synonyms for: smelt / smelted / smelting / smelts on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object)

to fuse or melt (ore) in order to separate the metal contained.

to obtain or refine (metal) in this way.

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Origin of smelt

First recorded in 1535–45; probably from Middle Dutch or Middle Low German smelten; cognate with German schmelzen “to melt, smelt, fuse”; see origin at melt¹,

Words nearby smelt

smelling salts, smell test, smell to high heaven, smell up, smelly, smelt, smelter, smeltery, Smetana, Smethwick, smew

Other definitions for smelt (2 of 3)

smelt²

[ smelt ]

/ smɛlt /

noun, plural (especially collectively) smelt, (especially referring to two or more kinds or species) smelts.

any of various small, silvery food fishes of the family Osmeridae, of cold northern waters, as the North American rainbow smelt, Osmerus mordax.

any of several superficially similar but unrelated fishes, especially certain silversides, of California.

Origin of smelt

First recorded before 900; Middle English smelt(e), smelth, Old English smelt, smylt; compare Norwegian smelta “whiting”

Other definitions for smelt (3 of 3)

smelt³

[ smelt ]

/ smɛlt /

verb

a simple past tense and past participle of smell.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use smelt in a sentence

In 1915, Alcoa bought the unfinished dam, the plant, and the town, and began smelting two years later.
A North Carolina town struggles under the toxic shadow of the company that built it|Emily Cataneo/Undark|December 17, 2021|Popular-Science
An estimated half of these batteries end up in the informal recycling sector, where they are broken apart and smelted, causing lead particles to leak into the environment.
Lead poisoning affects 1 in 3 kids worldwide—but it’s not too late to act|jakemeth|October 23, 2020|Fortune
My nostrils have smelt the horrors of the (cloth) diaper pail.
Why Men Shouldn’t Wait To Have Kids|Conor P. Williams|March 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
So far, proposals of “Senate flounder,” “House blowfish,” and “Hope and Change smelt” have met with little public acceptance.
Up to a Point: P.J. O’Rourke on Valentine’s Day and Oral Hygiene|P. J. O’Rourke|February 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST

The Romans learned how to smelt copper into brass, then bronze, to make weapons, and suddenly war was an entirely different game.
Copper, the Metal That Runs the World: ‘Boom, Bust, Boom,’ by Bill Carter|Peter Madden|October 26, 2012|DAILY BEAST
A moment later there was Something nearly at his left elbow, and he smelt again the nameless, fœtid reek.
Uncanny Tales|Various
But also he saw strange, unaccustomed raiment, he saw a sheet of gold, he smelt the soft breath of ambra.
The Wave|Algernon Blackwood
I offered one of them a small bronze ring; he took it, smelt it, shook his head, and gave me to understand that it was not gold.
A Woman's Journey Round the World|Ida Pfeiffer
I merely just touched a piece of fresh rind, and my hands smelt of it the next morning.
A Woman's Journey Round the World|Ida Pfeiffer
Hunters are abundantly aware of this, and have to be quite as careful to avoid being smelt by their game as to avoid being seen.
Man And His Ancestor|Charles Morris

British Dictionary definitions for smelt (1 of 3)

smelt¹

/ (smɛlt) /

verb

(tr) to extract (a metal) from (an ore) by heating

Word Origin for smelt

C15: from Middle Low German, Middle Dutch smelten; related to Old High German smelzan to melt

British Dictionary definitions for smelt (2 of 3)

smelt²

/ (smɛlt) /

noun plural smelt or smelts

any marine or freshwater salmonoid food fish of the family Osmeridae, such as Osmerus eperlanus of Europe, having a long silvery body and occurring in temperate and cold northern waters

Word Origin for smelt

Old English smylt; related to Dutch, Danish smelt, Norwegian smelta, German Schmelz

British Dictionary definitions for smelt (3 of 3)

smelt³

/ (smɛlt) /

verb

a past tense and past participle of smell

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

Scientific definitions for smelt

smelt

[ smĕlt ]

To melt ores in order to extract the metals they contain. Oxide ores, such as iron ore, are smelted with carbon, which serves as a fuel and changes the ore into a reduced metal.

smelt

Origin of smelt

Words nearby smelt

Other definitions for smelt (2 of 3)

Origin of smelt

Other definitions for smelt (3 of 3)

Words related to smelt

How to use smelt in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for smelt (1 of 3)

Word Origin for smelt

British Dictionary definitions for smelt (2 of 3)

Word Origin for smelt

British Dictionary definitions for smelt (3 of 3)

Scientific definitions for smelt