smear

Everyday

1. To spread something soft, sticky or oily over a surface, often messily. tree →
2. (noun) A dirty mark made by something rubbed on a surface. tree →
3. To make a mark blurry by rubbing, like smudging ink. tree →
4. To spread false or unfair stories to damage someone's good name: «a smear campaign». tree →
5. (medicine) A small sample of cells taken on a slide for testing; in the UK a «smear test» is a health check for grown-up women. tree →

In the lessons

In everyday life you smear butter on toast or jam on your face; in art you smear paint with a finger. In science, a smear of cells on a slide is looked at under a microscope. In news and media lessons, a «smear» is a false attack on someone, linked to fake news and propaganda.

Examples

• She smeared butter on her toast. tree →
• There was a smear of chocolate on his cheek. tree →
• Don't touch the wet paint, or you'll smear it. tree →
• The window was covered in greasy smears. tree →
• The politician said the story was a smear. tree →
• Mum went to the doctor for a routine smear test. tree →
• We put a smear of pond water on a slide and looked at it under the microscope. tree →
• The Flies were quickly smeared from head to foot with honey. tree →

Note

Regular verb; noun countable. «Smear» and «smudge» are similar; smudging is usually ink or pencil. A «smear campaign» is not a cleaning plan; it is spreading lies about someone.