smelt Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun small cold-water silvery fish; migrate between salt and fresh water
  2. noun small trout-like silvery marine or freshwater food fishes of cold northern waters
  3. verb extract (metals) by heating
  4. verb inhale the odor of; perceive by the olfactory sense
    smell.
  5. verb emit an odor
    smell.
    • The soup smells good
  6. verb smell bad
    smell.
    • He rarely washes, and he smells
  7. verb have an element suggestive (of something)
    smack; reek; smell.
    • his speeches smacked of racism
    • this passage smells of plagiarism
  8. verb become aware of not through the senses but instinctively
    smell out; smell; sense.
    • I sense his hostility
    • i smell trouble
    • smell out corruption

WordNet

Smelt imperfect & past participle
Definitions
  1. of Smell.
Smelt noun
Etymology
AS. smelt, smylt; akin to Dan. smelt.
Definitions
  1. (Zoöl.) Any one of numerous species of small silvery salmonoid fishes of the genus Osmerus and allied genera, which ascend rivers to spawn, and sometimes become landlocked in lakes. They are esteemed as food, and have a peculiar odor and taste. ✍ The most important species are the European smelt (Osmerus eperlans) (called also eperlan, sparling, and spirling), the Eastern American smelt (O. mordax), the California smelt (O. thalichthys), and the surf smelt (Hypomesus olidus). The name is loosely applied to various other small fishes, as the lant, the California tomcod, the spawn eater, the silverside.
  2. Fig.: A gull; a simpleton. Obs. eau & Fl.
Smelt transitive verb
Etymology
Of foreign origin; cf. Sw. smälta, D. smelten, Dan. smelte, Icel. smelta, G. schmelzen OHG. smelzan, smelzen; probably akin to Gr. . Cf. Enamel, Melt, Mute, v. i., Smalt.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Smelted; present participle & verbal noun Smelting
Definitions
  1. (Metal.) To melt or fuse, as, ore, for the purpose of separating and refining the metal; hence, to reduce; to refine; to flux or scorify; as, to smelt tin.

Webster 1913