Smote
/smoʊt/noun
Simple past tense and past participle of smite, meaning to strike forcefully or inflict a heavy blow.
Did you know?Smite comes from Proto-Germanic *smītaną, meaning “to smear or strike,” and its ancient relatives include words tied to hitting, rubbing, and impact across Germanic languages.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*smei-
“to smear, rub, or strike”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*smītaną
“to smear, daub, or strike”
Old English
OE
smītan
“to smear, stain, or strike”
Middle English
ME
smiten
“to strike, hit, or slay”
Modern English
English
smote
“struck heavily; past tense of smite”