smear: [OE] Smear comes from a prehistoric Germanic *smerwjan, which also produced German schmieren, Dutch smeren, Swedish smörja, and Danish smøre. The Swedish and Danish words for ‘butter’, smör and smør, come from the same source (the former is the first element in the compound smörgåsbord ‘opensandwich table’, literally ‘butter goose table’, from which English gets smorgasbord [19]). Also closely related are Irish smir ‘marrow’ and Greek smúris ‘polishing powder’ (source of English emery [15]). => emery, smorgasbord
smear (n.)
"mark or stain left by smearing," 1610s, from smear (v.). Sense of "small quantity prepared for microscopic examination" is from 1903. Meaning "a quantity of cream cheese, etc., smeared on a bagel" is by 1999, from Yiddish shmir. The earliest noun sense in English is "fat, grease, ointment" (c. 1200), from Old English had smeoru "fat, grease," cognate with Middle Dutch smere, Dutch smeer, German Schmer "grease, fat" (Yiddish schmir), Danish smør, Swedish smör "butter."
smear (v.)
Old English smerian, smierwan "to anoint or rub with grease, oil, etc.," from Proto-Germanic *smerwjan "to spread grease on" (cognates: Old Norse smyrja "to anoint, rub with ointment," Danish smøre, Swedish smörja, Dutch smeren, Old High German smirwen "apply salve, smear," German schmieren "to smear;" Old Norse smör "butter"), from PIE *smeru- "grease" (cognates: Greek myron "unguent, balsam," Old Irish smi(u)r "marrow," Old English smeoru "fat, grease, ointment, tallow, lard, suet," Lithuanian smarsas "fat").
Figurative sense of "assault a public reputation with unsubstantiated charges" is from 1879. Related: Smeared; smearing. Smear-word, one used regardless of its literal meaning but invested with invective, is from 1938.
实用例句
1. Smear Vaseline on to your baby's skin to prevent soreness.
给孩子皮肤上抹些凡士林以防止肿痛。
来自柯林斯例句
2. There was a smear of gravy on his chin.
他的下巴上粘着肉汁。
来自柯林斯例句
3. Smear a little olive oil over the inside of the salad bowl.
在色拉碗的内壁上抹一点橄榄油。
来自柯林斯例句
4. The cervical smear test is a lifesaver.
宫颈涂片检查能够帮上大忙。
来自柯林斯例句
5. He has been spreading false stories in an attempt to smear us.
