to spread or daub (an oily, greasy, viscous, or wet substance) on or over something: to smear butter on bread.
to spread or daub an oily, greasy, viscous, or wet substance on: to smear bread with butter.
to stain, spot, or make dirty with something oily, greasy, viscous, or wet.
to sully, vilify, or soil (a reputation, good name, etc.).
to smudge or blur, as by rubbing: The signature was smeared.
Slang. to defeat decisively; overwhelm: They smeared the home team.
noun
an oily, greasy, viscous, or wet substance, especially a dab of such a substance.
a stain, spot, or mark made by such a substance.
a smudge.
something smeared or to be smeared on a thing, as a glaze for pottery.
a small quantity of something spread thinly on a slide for microscopic examination.
vilification: a smear by a cheap gossip columnist.
Origin of smear
before 900; (v.) Middle English smeren, smirien to rub with fat, anoint, Old English smirian, smerian, smerwan; cognate with Dutch smeren,German schmieren,Old Norse smyrja, smyrwa; (noun) in current senses derivative of the v.; compare obsolete smear fat, grease, ointment, Middle English smere,Old English smeoru, cognate with Dutch smear,German Schmer,Old Norse smjǫr grease, Greek smýris rubbing powder; see emery
OTHER WORDS FROM smear
smearer,nounun·smeared,adjective
Words nearby smear
smaze, S.M.B., sm. c., SMD, SME, smear, smear campaign, smearcase, smear culture, smear-sheet, smear test
A sample, as of blood or bacterial cells, spread thinly on a slide and usually stained for microscopic examination or applied to the surface of a culture medium.