smear
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to rub a soft or oily substance across a surface.
v.to spread a viscous, oily, or dirty substance over a surface by rubbing.
Simple“The child managed to smear peanut butter all over the kitchen table.”
In context“The artist used his thumb to smear the charcoal across the paper, creating a soft shadow effect that gave the portrait depth.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to become messy or hard to see because the ink or paint has been rubbed.
v.to become blurred or indistinct through rubbing or spreading.
Simple“Be careful not to touch the page, or the wet ink will smear.”
In context“The rain caused the handwritten address on the envelope to smear, making it nearly impossible for the postman to read.”
- 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a messy mark made by rubbing something like grease or ink.
n.a blurred or spread mark made by a substance on a surface.
Simple“There was a greasy smear on his glasses that made it hard to see.”
In context“A dark smear of oil on the driveway indicated that the car's engine was beginning to leak.”
- 04 C1 Advanced
n.a small amount of a substance, like blood, put on glass to be looked at in a lab.
n.a sample of tissue or secretion spread thinly on a microscope slide for medical examination.
Simple“The doctor took a blood smear to check for signs of infection.”
In context“The technician prepared the cervical smear for analysis, ensuring the cells were spread evenly across the slide for clear viewing.”
Usage smear campaign
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, Low German smeren, German schmieren.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.