definitions

smudge

[ smuhj ]
/ smʌdʒ /
|

noun

verb (used with object), smudged, smudg·ing.

to mark with dirty streaks or smears.
to fill with smudge, as to drive away insects or protect fruit trees from frost.

verb (used without object), smudged, smudg·ing.

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RELATED WORDS

blot, blemish, daub, sully, blacken, spatter, spot, smut, smutch, blur, macule, defile, smirch, slop, soil, plaster, grime, blotch, taint, foul

Nearby words

smriti, sms, smsa, smsgt, smtp, smudge, smudge pot, smudging, smudgy, smug, smuggery

Origin of smudge

1400–50; late Middle English smogen (v.) < ?
Related formssmudg·ed·ly, adverbsmudge·less, adjectiveun·smudged, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for smudging

British Dictionary definitions for smudging (1 of 2)

smudging

/ (ˈsmʌdʒɪŋ) /

noun

a traditional Native American method of using smoke from burning herbs to purify a space

British Dictionary definitions for smudging (2 of 2)

smudge

/ (smʌdʒ) /

verb

to smear, blur, or soil or cause to do so
(tr) mainly US and Canadian to fill (an area) with smoke in order to drive insects away or guard against frost

noun

a smear or dirty mark
a blurred form or areathat smudge in the distance is a quarry
mainly US and Canadian a smoky fire for driving insects away or protecting fruit trees or plants from frost
Derived Formssmudgeless, adjectivesmudgily or smudgedly, adverb

Word Origin for smudge

C15: of uncertain origin
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