smear

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.

“Be careful not to touch the page, or the wet ink will smear.”

“The rain caused the handwritten address on the envelope to smear, making it nearly impossible for the postman to read.”

B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun

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.

“There was a greasy smear on his glasses that made it hard to see.”

“A dark smear of oil on the driveway indicated that the car's engine was beginning to leak.”

C1 · Advanced Countable noun Medicine Technical

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.

“The doctor took a blood smear to check for signs of infection.”

“The technician prepared the cervical smear for analysis, ensuring the cells were spread evenly across the slide for clear viewing.”