Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense smears, present participle smearing, past tense, past participle smeared
1. verb
If you smear a surface with an oily or sticky substance or smear the substance onto the surface, you spread a layer of the substance over the surface.
My sister smeared herself with suntan oil and slept by the swimming pool. [VERB noun + with]
Smear a little olive oil over the inside of the salad bowl. [VERB noun preposition]
Synonyms: spread over, daub, rub on, cover More Synonyms of smear
2. countable noun
A smear is a dirty or oily mark.
There was a smear of gravy on his chin. [+ of]
3. verb
To smear someone means to spread unpleasant and untrue rumours or accusations about them in order to damage their reputation.
[journalism]
...an attempt to smear the Director-General of the BBC. [VERB noun]
4. countable noun [oft NOUN noun]
A smear is an unpleasant and untrue rumour or accusation that is intended to damage someone's reputation.
[journalism]
He puts all the accusations down to a smear campaign by his political opponents.
5. countable noun
A smear or a smear test is a medical test in which a few cells are taken from a woman's cervix and examined to see if any cancer cells are present.
[British]regional note: in AM, use pap smear, pap test
More Synonyms of smear
smear in British English
(smɪə)
verb(mainly tr)
1.
to bedaub or cover with oil, grease, etc
2.
to rub over or apply thickly
3.
to rub so as to produce a smudge
4.
to slander
5. US slang
to defeat completely
6. (intransitive)
to be or become smeared or dirtied
noun
7.
a dirty mark or smudge
8.
a.
a slanderous attack
b.
(as modifier)
smear tactics
9.
a preparation of blood, secretions, etc, smeared onto a glass slide for examination under a microscope
Derived forms
smearer (ˈsmearer)
noun
Word origin
Old English smeoru (n); related to Old Norse smjör fat, Old High German smero, Greek muron ointment
smear in American English
(smɪr)
verb transitive
1.
to cover, daub, or soil with something greasy, sticky, or dirty
2.
to apply or daub (something greasy, sticky, or dirty) so as to leave a coating, mark, etc.
3.
to make an unwanted mark or streak on, or to obscure, by rubbing
to smear a wet signature
4.
to make a smear with
to smear one's hand across a surface
5.
to harm the reputation of; malign; slander
6. Slang
to overwhelm or defeat decisively
verb intransitive
7.
to be or become smeared
noun
8.
a spot or mark made by smearing
9.
a small quantity of some substance, as blood, smeared on a slide for microscopic study, etc.
10.
the act or an instance of smearing, or slandering, someone
11.
a. Obsolete
ointment
b.
a substance to be smeared on something
Word origin
ME smerien < OE smerian, to anoint, akin to Ger schmieren < IE base *smeru-, grease > OIr smir, marrow & (prob.) L medulla, marrow
Examples of 'smear' in a sentence
smear
Smear the cut surfaces with olive oil and season with salt.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Wipe the scallops dry and smear with groundnut oil.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
It makes no sense to skip your smear test.
The Sun (2014)
It is very obviously another smear built on false foundations.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Smear the cut surfaces with olive oil and place in the bottom of the oven.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Trim skin and fat from chicken and smear with olive oil.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Pools of blood smeared the stone steps and walkways.
The Sun (2007)
Information about smear tests should be readily available to young women.
The Sun (2009)
Smear the cut surfaces with olive oil and lay the thyme over the top.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Smear with olive oil and squeeze over juice from the lemon.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
It was a smear of blood left behind by a thumb.
Colin Beavan FINGERPRINTS: Murder and the Race to Uncover the Science of Identity (2002)
But then it became cracked and smeared with paint and was finally put out of sight in a back room.
The Sun (2010)
Smear the inside lavishly with butter.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
It has already left incontinent smears of grease on the bag and beneath the golden crust the pastry is chewy and undercooked.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Hours after it went on display the billboard was defaced, with brown paint smeared on the image.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
WOULD like to know how many successful smear campaigns the police have got away with.
The Sun (2013)
It is a smear campaign.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
It's a government smear campaign.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
I've just got a paint smear on my jeans.
The Sun (2006)
In other languages
smear
British English: smear /smɪə/ NOUN
medical test A smear or a smear test is a medical test in which a few cells are taken from a woman's body and examined to see if any cancer cells are present.
American English: pap smear
Arabic: فَحْصُ عُنْقِ الرَّحْم
Brazilian Portuguese: Papanicolau exame citopatológico do colo uterino
Chinese: 宫颈涂片检查
Croatian: papa test
Czech: výtěr z děložního hrdla
Danish: smear-test
Dutch: uitstrijkje
European Spanish: citología
Finnish: papa-koe
French: frottis
German: Abstrich
Greek: τεστ Παπανικολάου
Italian: Pap test
Japanese: 塗沫検査
Korean: 도말 표본 검사
Norwegian: celleprøve
Polish: wymaz
European Portuguese: papanicolau exame citopatológico do colo uterino
Romanian: test Papanicolau
Russian: мазок со слизистой оболочки шейки матки
Latin American Spanish: citología
Swedish: cellprov
Thai: การตรวจภายใน
Turkish: Pap smear testi
Ukrainian: мазок
Vietnamese: xét nghiệm phết tế bào cổ tử cung
British English: smear VERB
If you smear a surface with an oily or sticky substance or smear the substance onto the surface, you spread a layer of the substance over the surface.
She smeared her face with suntan oil.
American English: smear
Brazilian Portuguese: untar
Chinese: 涂抹
European Spanish: untar
French: enduire
German: beschmieren
Italian: imbrattare
Japanese: 塗りつける
Korean: 바르다
European Portuguese: untar
Latin American Spanish: untar
British English: smear NOUN
oil, dirt A smear is a dirty or oily mark.
There was a smear of gravy on his chin.
American English: smear
Brazilian Portuguese: nódoa
Chinese: 污点
European Spanish: mancha
French: tache
German: Fleck
Italian: macchia
Japanese: 汚れ
Korean: 얼룩
European Portuguese: nódoa
Latin American Spanish: mancha
All related terms of 'smear'
pap smear
A pap smear is a medical test in which cells are taken from a woman's cervix and analysed to see if any cancer cells are present .
smear test
a similar test for precancerous cells in other organs
smear tactics
actions designed to slander another person or organization in order to damage their reputation
vaginal smear
a smear sample taken from vaginal mucous for cytological analysis
cervical smear
a smear of cellular material taken from the neck ( cervix ) of the uterus for detection of cancer
smear campaign
a deliberate attack on somebody, by spreading an untrue and unpleasant rumour about them, or by making an accusation intended to damage their reputation
Papanicolaou test
a similar test for precancerous cells in other organs