smear Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun slanderous defamation
    malignment; vilification.
  2. noun a thin tissue or blood sample spread on a glass slide and stained for cytologic examination and diagnosis under a microscope
    cytosmear; cytologic smear.
  3. noun a blemish made by dirt
    smirch; blot; slur; spot; smudge; daub.
    • he had a smudge on his cheek
  4. noun an act that brings discredit to the person who does it
    smirch; blot; spot; stain.
    • he made a huge blot on his copybook
  5. verb stain by smearing or daubing with a dirty substance
  6. verb make a smudge on; soil by smudging
    smutch; smudge; blur.
  7. verb cover (a surface) by smearing (a substance) over it
    daub.
    • smear the wall with paint
    • daub the ceiling with plaster
  8. verb charge falsely or with malicious intent; attack the good name and reputation of someone
    sully; smirch; defame; asperse; slander; denigrate; calumniate; besmirch.
    • The journalists have defamed me!" "The article in the paper sullied my reputation

WordNet

Smear transitive verb
Etymology
OE. smeren, smerien, AS. smierwan, smyrwan, fr. smeoru fat, grease; akin to D. smeren, OHG. smirwen, G. schmieren, Icel. smyrja to anoint. See Smear, n.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Smeared ; present participle & verbal noun Smearing
Definitions
  1. To overspread with anything unctuous, viscous, or adhesive; to daub; as, to smear anything with oil. "Smear the sleepy grooms with blood." Shak.
  2. To soil in any way; to contaminate; to pollute; to stain morally; as, to be smeared with infamy. Shak.
Smear noun
Etymology
OE. smere,. smeoru fat, grease; akin to D. smeer, G. schmeer, OHG. smero, Icel. smjör, Sw. & Dan. smör butter, Goth. smaírr fatness, smarna dung; cf. Lith. smarsas fat. Cf. Smirch.
Definitions
  1. A fat, oily substance; oinment. Johnson.
  2. Hence, a spot made by, or as by, an unctuous or adhesive substance; a blot or blotch; a daub; a stain.
    Slow broke the morn, All damp and rolling vapor, with no sun, But in its place a moving smear of light. Alexander Smith.

Webster 1913