smithereenv.
/ˌsmɪðəˈriːn/, U.S. /ˌsmɪðəˈrin/ transitive. To smash or blow up into tiny fragments. Also in extended use.
ΘΚΠ
the world > existence and causation > creation > destruction > breaking or cracking > break [verb (transitive)] > break to pieces, shatter, or burst
to-breakc888
briteOE
to-shenec950
abreakOE
forgnidea1000
to-brytc1000
to-burstc1000
to-driveOE
shiverc1200
to-shiverc1200
to-reavec1225
shiverc1250
debruise1297
to-crack13..
to-frushc1300
to-sliftc1315
chinec1330
littlec1350
dingc1380
bruisea1382
burst1382
rushc1390
shinderc1390
spald?a1400
brittenc1400
pashc1400
forbruise1413
to break, etc. into sherds1426
shattera1450
truncheon1477
scarboyle1502
shonk1508
to-shattera1513
rash1513
shidera1529
grind1535
infringe1543
dishiver1562
rupture1578
splinter1582
tear1582
disshiver1596
upburst1596
to burst up1601
diminish1607
confract1609
to blow (shiver, smash, tear, etc.) to or into atoms1612
dishatter1615
vanquashc1626
beshiver1647
disfrange1778
smash1778
explode1784
bust1806
spell1811
smithereen1878
shard1900
1878 A. M. Lyster North Wind & Sunshine viii. 117 Three shillin's worth of good gingerbread, a lot of Boney's ribs an' the glass I kep 'em in, all smithereened before me two eyes.
1917 G. M. Knocker Let. 10 June in Diary & Lett. World War I Fighter Pilot (2008) 23 I found the crash which was the best machine lying on its top plane & pretty well smithereened!
1957 El Paso (Texas) Herald-Post 7 Dec. In last night's games, Bowie's powerful Bears smithereened Pyote 67-22.
1973 N.Y. News 21 Aug. 53/1 He'd like to smithereen the crystal ball.
2001 Interzone Oct. 40/2 Needless to say, as in all great anime , megacities are totalled, planets smithereened.
Derivatives
smitheˈreening adj.
ΘΚΠ
the world > existence and causation > creation > destruction > breaking or cracking > [adjective] > bursting, shattering, or breaking into pieces
shiveringa1400
shattering1577
splintery1808
splintering1828
bursting1868
brisant1905
smithereening1959
1959 Listener 5 Mar. 429/2 A bomb in a suit-case timed shortly to do its smithereening work.
1964 Economist 16 May 699/2 Dum-dum bullets or smithereening explosives.
2016 Independent (Nexis) 8 Feb. (Sport section) 12 The shock-and-awe smithereening stuff in defence.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, January 2018; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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