smelt
1 of 3noun
ˈsmelt 
plural smelts or smelt
: any of a family (Osmeridae) of small bony fishes that closely resemble the trouts in general structure, live along coasts and ascend rivers to spawn or are landlocked, and have delicate oily flesh with a distinctive odor and taste
smelt
2 of 3verb
smelted; smelting; smelts
transitive verb
1
: to melt or fuse (a substance, such as ore) often with an accompanying chemical change usually to separate the metal
2
: refine, reduce
smelt
3 of 3chiefly British past participle of smell entry 1
Example Sentences
Verb the process used for smelting iron ore
Recent Examples on the Web
Ling Ma, The New Yorker, 4 July 2022 All of that may change soon, since growing evidence suggests that the Delta smelt is now effectively extinct in the wild. David Owen, The New Yorker, 11 May 2022 In 1928 smelt were reported caught in gill nets near Little Sturgeon Bay in Door County. Paul A. Smith, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 26 Mar. 2022 Washington has approved a five-hour smelt-dipping season for Saturday on the banks (only) of the Cowlitz River. Bill Monroe, oregonlive, 2 Mar. 2022 For centuries, Tolowa people lived in balance with the elk that roamed free, the smelt that returned each summer and the thousands of Aleutian geese that once fanned across the forested coast. Los Angeles Times, 20 Dec. 2021 But Michigan scientists were puzzled when the little smelt showed higher levels of PFOS than larger, predator fish such as lake trout. Shantal Riley, Washington Post, 12 Jan. 2022 Even with all the rain and snow, California is throttling back pumping from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta — the heart of the state’s water delivery network — to protect the Delta smelt. Los Angeles Times, 6 Jan. 2022 The young bird spreads its wings, bends down, and snatches the smelt. Melody Bentz, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 July 2021 WSJ, 31 Aug. 2022 Rainbow smelt from Lake Superior should be consumed only once a month, the only species of fish in the lake to be impacted at this point. Laura Schulte, Journal Sentinel, 7 July 2022 During the Bronze Age, before people figured out how to smelt iron from rock, the only widely available source of iron was meteoric—hunks of it fallen from space. Steven Poole, WSJ, 23 Mar. 2022 To better understand this, think of a fairy-tale kingdom where the royal alchemist succeeded in turning lead into gold, and the delighted king ordered the royal mint to smelt more coins with it. Robinson Meyer, The Atlantic, 2 Feb. 2022 Lomeli added that the lights have also proven effective at reducing bycatch of eulachon (Pacific smelt) and juvenile rockfish and flatfish in the shrimp trawl fishery off Oregon. Lynne Curry, Anchorage Daily News, 13 Dec. 2021 Miner Rio Tinto announced plans in October to deploy CCUS technology at its aluminum smelt in Iceland. Eamon Barrett, Fortune, 12 Dec. 2021 According to English Heritage, Britain’s Bronze Age began around 2300 B.C.E. During this period, ancient Britons mined copper and tin to smelt into axes, chisels, hammers, sickles and other tools. David Kindy, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 Nov. 2021 There's so much copper cabling in my garage, the French government could smelt me a statue of Steve Jobs to erect in San Francisco Bay. Parker Hall, Wired, 18 Oct. 2021 See More
Noun
My mother helps herself delicately to a bite of pea shoots, then the smelt. Ling Ma, The New Yorker, 4 July 2022 All of that may change soon, since growing evidence suggests that the Delta smelt is now effectively extinct in the wild. David Owen, The New Yorker, 11 May 2022 In 1928 smelt were reported caught in gill nets near Little Sturgeon Bay in Door County. Paul A. Smith, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 26 Mar. 2022 Washington has approved a five-hour smelt-dipping season for Saturday on the banks (only) of the Cowlitz River. Bill Monroe, oregonlive, 2 Mar. 2022 For centuries, Tolowa people lived in balance with the elk that roamed free, the smelt that returned each summer and the thousands of Aleutian geese that once fanned across the forested coast. Los Angeles Times, 20 Dec. 2021 But Michigan scientists were puzzled when the little smelt showed higher levels of PFOS than larger, predator fish such as lake trout. Shantal Riley, Washington Post, 12 Jan. 2022 Even with all the rain and snow, California is throttling back pumping from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta — the heart of the state’s water delivery network — to protect the Delta smelt. Los Angeles Times, 6 Jan. 2022 The young bird spreads its wings, bends down, and snatches the smelt. Melody Bentz, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 July 2021 Verb
Many patients were motionless in their beds in rooms that smelt of urine. WSJ, 31 Aug. 2022 Rainbow smelt from Lake Superior should be consumed only once a month, the only species of fish in the lake to be impacted at this point. Laura Schulte, Journal Sentinel, 7 July 2022 During the Bronze Age, before people figured out how to smelt iron from rock, the only widely available source of iron was meteoric—hunks of it fallen from space. Steven Poole, WSJ, 23 Mar. 2022 To better understand this, think of a fairy-tale kingdom where the royal alchemist succeeded in turning lead into gold, and the delighted king ordered the royal mint to smelt more coins with it. Robinson Meyer, The Atlantic, 2 Feb. 2022 Lomeli added that the lights have also proven effective at reducing bycatch of eulachon (Pacific smelt) and juvenile rockfish and flatfish in the shrimp trawl fishery off Oregon. Lynne Curry, Anchorage Daily News, 13 Dec. 2021 Miner Rio Tinto announced plans in October to deploy CCUS technology at its aluminum smelt in Iceland. Eamon Barrett, Fortune, 12 Dec. 2021 According to English Heritage, Britain’s Bronze Age began around 2300 B.C.E. During this period, ancient Britons mined copper and tin to smelt into axes, chisels, hammers, sickles and other tools. David Kindy, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 Nov. 2021 There's so much copper cabling in my garage, the French government could smelt me a statue of Steve Jobs to erect in San Francisco Bay. Parker Hall, Wired, 18 Oct. 2021 See More Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English, from Old English; akin to Norwegian smelte whiting
Verb
Dutch or Low German smelten; akin to Old High German smelzan to melt, Old English meltan — more at melt
First Known Use
Noun
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above
Verb
1543, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Kids Definition
smelt 1 of 2
noun
ˈsmelt
plural smelts or smelt
: a small silvery fish that is sometimes used for food
smelt
2 of 2verb
smelted; smelting
: to melt (as ore) in order to separate the metal : refine