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smear

smear

14 4.1
A messy mark left on a surface by a substance
  • noun
  • /smɪr/
translation icon : mancha
  • Son, you have a little smear of something on your cheek.

And and it's not a smear, it's a spatter.

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Examples

  • Son, you have a little smear of something on your cheek.

  • After several horrified seconds, it registered that the scarlet smears on my fingers were blood.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • That's when I notice the blood - a smear of it on my right hand.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • Smoke had left a smear of greasy soot on the glass.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • Night and rain combined to make disoriented streets and paint smears of light across the windshield.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • And she was crying with joy, kissing him, and leaving smears of lipstick all over his tan, weathered face.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • Bain wipes the sweat from his forehead and leaves a smear of black from the charcoal.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • I noticed a smear of grease on the kitchen counter after cooking.

  • There was a water smear on the glass that made it hard to see outside.

Synonyms

mark
vssmear
468 1.0

A visible line, spot, scratch, or stain on a surface

is a specific kind of visible sign caused by spreading substance
spot
vssmear
297 1.0

A small round mark on a surface, for example on a card or dice

is usually a spread blemish rather than a neat round area
stain
vssmear
224 1.4

A mark that makes something a different color and is hard to remove

can be temporary or removable and focuses on spread rather than permanence
smudge
vssmear
30 1.9

A dirty mark on something that makes it look untidy

is similar but can come from any spread substance, not only dirt
bloodstain
vssmear
20 2.7

A mark of blood on clothes or other surfaces

is a general spread blemish not limited to biological fluids
blemish
vssmear
15 3.9

A small mark that spoils the look of skin or an object

is more about material spread across a surface than a general flaw
blot
vssmear
8 2.7

A small mark often made by ink or dirt

is more general and applies to many substances, not only liquids
schmutz
vssmear
  • US
6 9.1

A small spot of dirt on skin or clothing

is broader and can be larger or more spread out than a small bit
mud stain
vssmear
1 1.1

A mark on something made by wet mud

covers marks from any substance, not only mud
tache
vssmear
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A small spot or stain on a surface

is the same idea but emphasizes spreading across the area
daub
vssmear
7.7

A small spot of dirt or sticky food on something

is a broader spread blemish not limited to sticky textures
smirch
vssmear
  • Archaic
9.8

A dirty mark that spoils the look of clothing or fabric

is the general spread blemish without stressing moral or reputational damage
smuts
vssmear
  • Offensive
7.2

Small dirty marks on surfaces or paper

is a single spread blemish rather than multiple small particles
blotch of ink
vssmear
3.5

A dark patch of ink from a spill or a smudge

is not limited to ink and covers many spread substances
mouche
vssmear
  • Archaic
9.9

A small spot on a surface showing an imperfection

is a general spread mark rather than an archaic or stylistic term

Antonyms

30 2.7

How easy it is to see through something like clean water

Compounds

An organized effort to hurt someone's reputation by making false or unfair accusations

Pap smear
  • Specialized
12 4.3

A medical test in which a doctor takes cells from a woman's cervix to check for signs of cancer

1 3.7

A medical test that checks cells from a woman's cervix for signs of cancer or other problems

bronchoscopic smear
  • Specialized
8.2

A sample of cells taken from the lungs with a small camera to check for lung disease

A test that takes cells from the cervix to check for early signs of cancer

cytologic smear
  • Specialized
6.1

A small sample of cells spread thin on a glass slide to look at under a microscope

duodenal smear
  • Specialized
7.4

A small sample of cells taken from the upper part of the small intestine to check for infection

esophageal smear
  • Specialized
7.5

A medical test that takes cells from the food pipe to look at under a microscope

8.6

A sample of cells taken from part of the digestive tract to check for diseases like cancer

A sample from the lungs placed on a slide to look for infection or cancer

gastric smear
  • Specialized
6.8

A lab test where a sample from the stomach is put on a slide to check for infection

oral smear
  • Specialized
6.3

A sample of mouth cells spread on a slide to look at under a microscope

Papanicolaou smear
  • Specialized
4.2

A test that collects cells from the opening of a woman's womb to look for early cancer

paraduodenal smear
  • Specialized
9.3

A test that examines material from the first part of the small intestine under a microscope to check for infection

smear word
  • Offensive
7.9

A word used to hurt someone's reputation unfairly

sputum smear
  • Specialized
7.0

A lab test that spreads lung mucus on a slide and checks it under a microscope for disease

vaginal smear
  • Specialized
6.0

A sample of cells taken from the inside of a woman's birth canal to check for infection or unusual cells

How Noticeable

stain
224 1.4
smear
14 4.1
to smudge
30 3.7
blot
8 2.7
speckle
3 3.4

Surface Forms

smear singular
smears plural

Etymology

Smear as a mark comes from the old English verb smeoran 'to rub'. If you rub a wet or dirty thing across a surface you leave a 'smear', so the origin explains the meaning of a dirty or greasy mark.