smear
5 ENTRIES FOUND:
plural
smears
plural
smears
Britannica Dictionary definition of SMEAR
[count]
1
:
a dirty mark, spot, streak, etc., made by touching or rubbing something
-
There was a smear [=smudge] on the mirror.
2
medical
:
a very small sample of something (such as skin or blood) that someone examines with a microscope
—
see also pap smear
-
The blood smear revealed malaria.
3
:
an untrue story about a person that is meant to hurt that person's reputation
— often used before another noun
-
a deliberate smear
-
a smear campaign
-
His opponent did a smear job on him.
2
smear
/ˈsmiɚ/
verb
smears;
smeared;
smearing
2
smear
/ˈsmiɚ/
verb
smears;
smeared;
smearing
Britannica Dictionary definition of SMEAR
1
[+ object]
:
to make (something) dirty by rubbing it with something else
-
The children smeared the window with fingerprints.
2
[+ object]
:
to spread (something) over a surface
-
She smeared jam on her toast.
-
Butter was smeared all over the counter.
-
The axle was smeared [=covered] with grease.
-
children with paint-smeared faces
3
a
[no object]
:
to spread or drip in an untidy way
-
Her mascara smeared when she cried.
-
The ink smeared [=smudged] when she folded the letter.
b
[+ object]
:
to cause (something) to spread or drip in an untidy way
-
Water smeared [=smudged] the ink so I could barely read the letter.
4
[+ object]
:
to make untrue statements about someone in order to hurt that person's reputation
-
political opponents smearing each other
-
They deliberately tried to smear him by telling lies about his war record.
-
They tried to smear his reputation.
