Smear
/smɪər/noun
To spread a substance over a surface or to stain something with a dirty mark.
Did you know?Smear is an old Germanic word whose deepest root is linked to the idea of spreading or anointing, and it survives in a family of words that once carried the sense of rubbing something across a surface by hand.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*smēraną
“to anoint, smear, or rub on”
Old English
OE
smēarian
“to smear, anoint, or daub”
Middle English
ME
smeren
“to smear, soil, or spread on”
15th Century
English
smere
“to daub, stain, or spread with a greasy or dirty substance”
Modern English
English
smear
“to spread a substance over a surface or to stain with a dirty mark”