Word
smelt
US/ˈsmɛɫt/
UK/smˈɛlt/
Definitions
01past tense of smell
A2 · Elementary British English
v. the past tense of 'smell'. You use this when you noticed an odor in the past.
v. the simple past and past participle of 'smell'. This form is standard in British English, whereas 'smelled' is more common in American English.
“As soon as I opened the door, I smelt something burning in the kitchen.”
“The hikers smelt the pine needles long before they reached the forest edge, as the wind carried the scent down the valley.”
Pitfall
I smelled the fresh bread from the street.
I smelt the fresh bread from the street.
Both are correct, but 'smelt' is the preferred spelling in British English, while 'smelled' is standard in American English.
02to extract metal
C1 · Advanced Science Technical
v. to melt rock (ore) at a very high temperature to get the metal out of it.
v. to extract a metal from its ore by a process involving heating and melting, usually accompanied by a chemical reducing agent.
“Ancient civilizations learned how to smelt copper to make tools and weapons.”
“The facility was designed to smelt iron ore more efficiently by recycling the heat generated during the initial reduction phase.”
Usage
This is a transitive verb that usually takes the name of a metal or 'ore' as its object.
03metal production
C2 · Proficiency Uncountable noun Science Technical
n. the process of melting ore to create pure metal.
n. the industrial process or the product of extracting metal from ore through heating and chemical reduction.
“The factory was built near the mine to reduce the cost of smelt transport.”
“Environmental regulations have forced the industry to minimize the toxic byproducts released during the copper smelt process.”
Synonyms
Real-World Examples
“Meteorites provided a rare but ready source of iron for ancient Bronze Age cultures before smelting became common.” “Meanwhile, a fire in Blaenavon, Torfaen, could be smelt as far away as Cardiff.” Etymology
From Middle English smelt, from Old English smelt, from Proto-Germanic *smeltaz.
From very early Middle English smel; likely to derive from Old English, but not recorded.
From Middle Dutch smelten (“to melt”) or Middle Low German smelten (“to melt”), from Old Dutch smeltan or Old Saxon smeltan, both from Proto-West Germanic smeltan, from Proto-Germanic *smeltaną (“to melt”). Related to English melt and Old English meltan (“to melt”). Cognate to Dutch smelten, German schmelzen.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C2 ProficiencyIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.8.5–9.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 6.0114–120
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C2 · Proficiency
- Updated
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