smelt

¹ American  

[smelt] / smɛlt /

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.

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smelt ² American  

[smelt] / smɛlt /

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.

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smelt ³ American  

[smelt] / smɛlt /

verb

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

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smelt ¹ British  

/ smɛlt /

verb

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

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smelt ² British  

/ smɛlt /

verb

1. a past tense and past participle of smell

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smelt ³ British  

/ 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

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smelt Scientific  

/ smĕlt /

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.

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Etymology

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”

Example Sentences

At a site tucked between New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Atlantic Alumina wants to expand production of alumina—critical for smelting aluminum—and add gallium-processing equipment.

From The Wall Street Journal

Much of this region supported a major smelting industry throughout the 20th century, particularly in Midvale and Murray.

From Science Daily

Native fish that are increasingly threatened include the finger-sized Delta smelt and white sturgeon, the largest freshwater fish in North America, which can reach more than 10 feet long.

From Los Angeles Times

The company estimates that 70% of global copper reserves are contained in such ores, frequently in concentrations that aren’t worth the expense of grinding into powders and hauling—often overseas—for smelting and refining.

From The Wall Street Journal

"We spent around an hour getting all the glass out and the porch smelt a bit, but you can imagine."

From BBC

Related Words

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