Smarts
/smɑːrts/noun
Painful sensations, or informal intelligence and practical cleverness.
Did you know?The older meaning survives in the phrase “that smarts,” while the sense meaning intelligence developed later from ideas of sharpness, quickness, and mental keenness.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*smerdʰ-
“To hurt, sting, or cause pain; the reconstructed root behind the Germanic pain-word family.”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*smartaną
“To hurt or cause a sharp pain.”
Old English
Old English
smeartian
“To be painful or to smart; to cause a stinging sensation.”
Middle English
Middle English
smerten
“To cause pain or sting; the ancestor of modern “smart.””
16th Century
English
smart
“Sharp, stinging, or physically painful; later extended metaphorically to quickness and keenness of mind.”
Modern English
English
smarts
“Pains or soreness; informally, intelligence or cleverness.”