Word: smear Part of Speech: verb Etymology: From Middle English smeren, smerien, from Old English smerian, smyrian, smierwan (“to anoint or rub with grease, oil, etc.”), from Proto-West Germanic *smirwijan, from Proto-Germanic *smirwijaną. Doublet of schmear. Cognate with Saterland Frisian smeere, Dutch smeren (“to smear, lubricate”), Low German smeren, German schmieren (“to smear, lubricate”), Danish and Norwegian Bokmål smøre (“to lubricate”), Norwegian Nynorsk smørja (“to lubricate”), Swedish smörja (“to grease”), Faroese and Icelandic smyrja. Pronunciation: /smɪə(ɹ)/, /smiɚ/, /smɪɚ/ 1. To spread (a substance, especially one that colours or is dirty) across a surface by rubbing. Labels: transitive Example: The artist smeared paint over the canvas in broad strokes. Example: In general, all bodies whose surfaces are even will […] stick to each other, and if a liquid be smeared over either surface, their cohesion will be still the stronger. 2. To cover (a surface with a layer of some substance) by rubbing. Labels: transitive Example: She smeared her lips with lipstick. Example: Why did you bring these daggers from the place? They must lie there: go carry them; and smear The sleepy grooms with blood. 3. To make something dirty. Labels: transitive Example: A man may bee smeared or grimed, and euerie man shall laugh at him, and yet he himselfe shall not perceiue it a whit. Example: […] she returned, carrying Johnnie, his face all smeared with eating, 4. (of a substance, etc.) To make a surface dirty by covering it. Labels: transitive Example: a pallor which was accentuated by the blood which smeared her lips and cheeks and chin Example: a rust spot smearing the back of the sink 5. To damage someone's reputation by slandering, misrepresenting, or otherwise making false accusations about them, their statements, or their actions. Labels: derogatory, transitive Example: The opposition party attempted to smear the candidate by spreading incorrect and unverifiable rumors about their personal behavior. Example: May everlasting shame consume The memory of those who tried To befoul and smear th’ exalted name Of one who spurned them in his pride. 6. To cause (something) to be messy or not clear by rubbing and spreading it. Labels: transitive Example: When she had entered two or three laborious items in the account-book, Jip would walk over the page, wagging his tail, and smear them all out. Example: Then there are four lines smeared so that I can only read went 5 days ago. 7. To become messy or not clear by being spread. Labels: intransitive Example: The paint is still wet — don't touch it or it will smear. 8. To write or draw (something) by spreading a substance on a surface. Labels: transitive Example: ciphers smeared on the windows of condemned shops Example: smear crude words on the walls in the victim’s own blood as evidence of his final cult-related frenzy 9. To cause (something) to be a particular colour by covering with a substance. Labels: transitive Example: small wooden dolls smeared red as though with blood Example: the fences and outhouses built of barrel-staves and parts of boxes, all, if I am fortunate, smeared a bluish green 10. To rub (a body part, etc.) across a surface. Labels: transitive Example: […] he smeared his ragged rough sleeve over his eyes. Example: With the lazy appetite of a calf mooning over a salt lick, he smeared his sizable nose against her face, 11. To attempt to remove (a substance) from a surface by rubbing. Labels: transitive Example: He had […] a dirty belcher handkerchief round his neck, with the long frayed ends of which he smeared the beer from his face as he spoke: Example: The boatman rowed short and hard […], only pausing at moments swiftly to smear the sweat from his face with an old rag he kept on the bench beside him. 12. To climb without using footholds, using the friction from the shoe to stay on the wall.