smear

—smearer, n.

/smear/, v.t.

1. to spread or daub (an oily, greasy, viscous, or wet substance) on or over something: to smear butter on bread.

2. to spread or daub an oily, greasy, viscous, or wet substance on: to smear bread with butter.

3. to stain, spot, or make dirty with something oily, greasy, viscous, or wet.

4. to sully, vilify, or soil (a reputation, good name, etc.).

5. to smudge or blur, as by rubbing: The signature was smeared.

6. Slang. to defeat decisively; overwhelm: They smeared the home team.

n.

7. an oily, greasy, viscous, or wet substance, esp. a dab of such a substance.

8. a stain, spot, or mark made by such a substance.

9. a smudge.

10. something smeared or to be smeared on a thing, as a glaze for pottery.

11. a small quantity of something spread thinly on a slide for microscopic examination.

12. vilification: a smear by a cheap gossip columnist.

[bef. 900; (v.) ME smeren, smirien to rub with fat, anoint, OE smirian, smerian, smerwan; c. D smeren, G schmieren, ON smyrja, smyrwa; (n.) in current senses deriv. of the v.; cf. obs. smear fat, grease, ointment, ME smere, OE smeoru, c. D smear, G Schmer, ON smjor grease, Gk smýris rubbing powder; see EMERY]

* * *