smudgesmudge1 /smʌdʒ/ noun [countable] 
Examples
a smudge of lipstick on the cup► see thesaurus at mark—smudgy adjective
ExamplesEXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
Thesaurus- Ella had a smudge of green paint on her cheek.
- There was a lipstick smudge on the rim of my cup.
- You can't hand your homework in with those smudges all over it.
- It can invert, flip, rotate, scale, stretch, smudge and anything else you might want it to do.
- Nothing on it, just a few smudges.
- Over on the horizon there was a dark-blue smudge of land to be seen only in first clear light.
- Purple lines floated on the surfaces of his eyes, coming briefly into focus, then retreating into vague smudges.
- Sometimes a finger pressed over semi-wet paint will create a controlled smudge for distant branches.
- Suddenly a flock of all-dark shearwaters appeared, only the underwing showing a pale smudge.
- This rumor contains smudges of truth.
- Typically the fisherman is a lone black smudge hunched on his bait-box for hours at a time.
THESAURUSa dirty mark► mark
Collocations a dirty area on something that spoils its appearance: · The bark of the tree had made black marks on her trousers.
► spot a small mark on something: · a grease spot on my shirt
► stain a mark that is difficult to remove, especially one made by a dark liquid: · a wine stain on the tablecloth· blood stains
► smudge a mark that is made when something touches against a surface: · There was a smudge of lipstick on his cheek.· He had a smudge of chalk on his jacket.
► smear a mark that is made by a small amount of something spread across a surface: · The table had a smear of paint on the top.
► fingerprint (also fingermark British English) a mark on the surface of something that is made by someone’s fingers: · The glass was covered with greasy fingerprints.
Longman Language Activatora mark on something that spoils its appearance► mark a spot or line on clothes, furniture, a wall, or floor etc, for example where it has been damaged, made dirty, or where someone has dropped liquid on it: · There are marks on the door where the cat has scratched it.make a mark: · Hot cups of tea can make marks on polished tables.dirty/greasy/sticky mark: · How did you get that dirty mark on your T-shirt?dirt/grease/pencil mark: · His shoes had left dirt marks across the carpet.
► stain a large mark that is difficult to remove, made when a liquid such as coffee or wine falls onto something: · I can't get this stain out of the carpet.grass/coffee/wine/blood stain: · Salt is the best cure for a red wine stain.
► spot a small round area on a surface, which is of a different colour from the rest of the surface and is made especially by drops of liquid: spot of: · Detectives found a few spots of blood on the carpet.ink/paint/oil spots: · The letter was covered in small ink spots, as though his hand had been shaking as he wrote it.
► patch especially British an area where dirt, water, oil etc has made a mark on a floor, wall, or ceiling: greasy/dirty/damp patch: · There's a damp patch under the window.patch of dirt/damp/grease: · Patches of grease covered the kitchen walls.
► smudge a dirty mark made when ink or paint is accidentally rubbed on a surface: · You can't hand your homework in with those smudges all over it.smudge of: · Ella had a smudge of green paint on her cheek.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES► smudge your make-up
a dirty mark SYN smearsmudge of (=accidentally rub it so that it spreads to areas where you do not want it)· Grace wiped her eyes, smudging her make-up.
a smudge of lipstick on the cup► see thesaurus at mark—smudgy adjective