smelt

¹

[smelt]

verb (used with object)

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

2. to obtain or refine (metal) in this way.

smelt

²

[smelt]

verb

1. a simple past tense and past participle of smell.

smelt

³

[smelt]

noun

plural

smelt ,

plural

smelts .

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

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

smelt

¹

/ smɛlt /

verb

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

smelt

²

/ smɛlt /

verb

1. a past tense and past participle of smell

smelt

³

/ smɛlt /

noun

1. 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

smelt

1. 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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of smelt¹

First recorded in 1535–45; probably from Middle Dutch or Middle Low German smelten; cognate with German schmelzen “to melt, smelt, fuse”; melt ¹,

Origin of smelt²

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of smelt¹

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

Origin of smelt²

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

Example Sentences

At Minworth Wastewater Treatment works in the Midlands the scale of the current problem can be both seen and smelt.

Read more on BBC

For many years, lead toxicity was assumed to be closely tied to human industry, including smelting, mining, and the use of leaded petrol and paint.

Read more on Science Daily

“They are going to send a lot of their manufacturing to the United States—pharmaceuticals, gold smelting, railway equipment.”

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The Japanese are investing in U.S. smelting of copper, a critical mineral, and a lithium-ion-phosphate processing plant.

Read more on MarketWatch

The US Treasury Secretary slammed export curbs imposed by Beijing last week on technologies used for rare-earth mining, smelting, and other processing steps.

Read more on Barron's

Related Words

• bake 
• boil 
• broil 
• grill 
• ignite 
• melt 
• reheat 
• roast 
• sear 
• steam 
• thaw 
• toast 
• warm