smear – English noun declension

English noun forms of smear

Noun: smear
Singularsmear
Pluralsmears

Sample Sentences

  • This detergent cleans windows without leaving smears.
  • A smear of decisive lead-coloured paint had been laid on to obliterate Henchard’s name, though its letters dimly loomed through like ships in a fog. [1886, Thomas Hardy, chapter 8, in The Mayor of Casterbridge, volume 2, London: Smith, Elder, page 108:]
  • Vast avalanches had left their dirty smears on the opposing slopes, [1933, Robert Byron, First Russia, Then Tibet, London: Macmillan, Part 2, Chapter 8:]
  • she bought a couple of rolls filled with a thin smear of potted meat for her breakfast [1952, Nevil Shute, chapter 2, in The Far Country, London: Heinemann:]
  • I could see the roofs of the town on the horizon, and farther off and higher up, a tiny silver ship propped motionless on a smear of pale sea. [2005, John Banville, The Sea, London: Picador, Part 2, p. 228:]
  • smear campaign
  • I should have held him quite beneath my Notice, as is all he utters, but that the Appetite of Slander, in many, is too predominant; and, ’tis possible, when the filthiest Fellow throws a Profusion of Dirt, some may chance to stick, if not timely thrown off; I shall endeavour therefore, to wipe away the sooty Smears of this Chimney-sweeper, by relating a simple Fact, which will, I flatter myself, amply confute the malicious Tales of this unprovoked, rancorous Mortal: [1752, Theophilus Cibber, A Lick at a Liar, London: R. Griffiths, page 7:]
  • “I’d rather not [read the newspaper article]. It’s probably full of falsification and smear. The yellow journalists doubtlessly suggested all sorts of lip-smacking innuendoes.” [1963 (date written), John Kennedy Toole, chapter 13, in A Confederacy of Dunces, London: Penguin Books, published 1980 (1981 printing), →ISBN, page 289:]
  • I'm going to the doctor's this afternoon for a smear.
  • In television terms, a certain amount of smear, ringing, and anticipatory overshoot are indigenous to VSB transmission. [1954, Radio & Television News: Radio-electronic engineering section:]
  • Results show the reduction in intelligibility produced by changing the filter condition was much greater than reductions caused by altering smear duration. [1972, Scientific and Technical Aerospace Reports:]

Etymology

1. 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.
2. 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. See: Old English Nouns 'smerian', Norwegian Nynorsk Nouns 'smørja', Swedish Nouns 'smörja'.

Verbs referencing "smear"

Irish Nouns smior, Norwegian Bokmål Nouns smør, Dutch Nouns smeer, Portuguese Nouns chimia, Portuguese Nouns schmier, Danish Nouns smøre.