smear

noun

process of applying a spreadable substance to a surface
substance spread on a surface
negative rumor about a person
motion creating a blur in photography

L27129 on Wikidata ↗

verb

besmirch, cause damage to
apply pasty entity to surface

L27130 on Wikidata ↗

Wiktionary

Pronunciation: /smɪə(ɹ)/ / /smiɚ/ / /smɪɚ/

noun

Etymology: 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 (“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.

A mark made by smearing.
“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.”
A false or unsupported, malicious statement intended to injure a person's reputation.
“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:”
A preparation to be examined under a microscope, made by spreading a thin layer of a substance (such as blood, bacterial culture) on a slide.
A Pap smear (screening test for cervical cancer).
“I'm going to the doctor's this afternoon for a smear.”
Any of various forms of distortion that make a signal harder to see or hear.
“In television terms, a certain amount of smear, ringing, and anticipatory overshoot are indigenous to VSB transmission.”
“Results show the reduction in intelligibility produced by changing the filter condition was much greater than reductions caused by altering smear duration.”
A maneuver in which the shoe is placed onto the holdless rock, and the friction from the shoe keeps it in contact
A rough glissando in jazz music.

verb

To spread (a substance, especially one that colours or is dirty) across a surface by rubbing.
“The artist smeared paint over the canvas in broad strokes.”
“In general, all bodies whose surfaces are even will […] stick to each other, and if a liquid be smeared over either surface, their cohesion will be still the stronger.”
To cover (a surface with a layer of some substance) by rubbing.
“She smeared her lips with lipstick.”
“Why did you bring these daggers from the place? They must lie there: go carry them; and smear The sleepy grooms with blood.”
To make something dirty.
“A man may bee smeared or grimed, and euerie man shall laugh at him, and yet he himselfe shall not perceiue it a whit.”
“[…] she returned, carrying Johnnie, his face all smeared with eating,”
(of a substance, etc.) To make a surface dirty by covering it.
“a pallor which was accentuated by the blood which smeared her lips and cheeks and chin”
“a rust spot smearing the back of the sink”
To damage someone's reputation by slandering, misrepresenting, or otherwise making false accusations about them, their statements, or their actions.
“The opposition party attempted to smear the candidate by spreading incorrect and unverifiable rumors about their personal behavior.”
“May everlasting shame consume The memory of those who tried To befoul and smear th’ exalted name Of one who spurned them in his pride.”
To cause (something) to be messy or not clear by rubbing and spreading it.
“When she had entered two or three laborious items in the account-book, Jip would walk over the page, wagging his tail, and smear them all out.”
“Then there are four lines smeared so that I can only read went 5 days ago.”
To become messy or not clear by being spread.
“The paint is still wet — don't touch it or it will smear.”
To write or draw (something) by spreading a substance on a surface.
“ciphers smeared on the windows of condemned shops”
“smear crude words on the walls in the victim’s own blood as evidence of his final cult-related frenzy”
To cause (something) to be a particular colour by covering with a substance.
“small wooden dolls smeared red as though with blood”
“the fences and outhouses built of barrel-staves and parts of boxes, all, if I am fortunate, smeared a bluish green”
To rub (a body part, etc.) across a surface.
“[…] he smeared his ragged rough sleeve over his eyes.”
“With the lazy appetite of a calf mooning over a salt lick, he smeared his sizable nose against her face,”
To attempt to remove (a substance) from a surface by rubbing.
“He had […] a dirty belcher handkerchief round his neck, with the long frayed ends of which he smeared the beer from his face as he spoke:”
“The boatman rowed short and hard […], only pausing at moments swiftly to smear the sweat from his face with an old rag he kept on the bench beside him.”
To climb without using footholds, using the friction from the shoe to stay on the wall.