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Smite

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smite

  [smahyt] verb, smote or (Obsolete) smit; smit⋅ten or smit; smit⋅ing.
Use Smite in a Sentence
–verb (used with object)
1. to strike or hit hard, with or as with the hand, a stick, or other weapon: She smote him on the back with her umbrella.
2. to deliver or deal (a blow, hit, etc.) by striking hard.
3. to strike down, injure, or slay: His sword had smitten thousands.
4. to afflict or attack with deadly or disastrous effect: smitten by polio.
5. to affect mentally or morally with a sudden pang: His conscience smote him.
6. to affect suddenly and strongly with a specified feeling: They were smitten with terror.
7. to impress favorably; charm; enamor: He was smitten by her charms.
–verb (used without object)
8. to strike; deal a blow.
—Idiom
9. smite hip and thigh. hip 1 (def. 9).
Origin:
bef. 900; ME smiten, OE smītan; c. G schmeissen to throw, D smijten

Related forms:
smiter, noun

Synonyms:
1. knock, cuff, buffet, slap.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To Smite
smite   (smīt)   
v.   smote (smōt), smit·ten (smĭt'n) or smote, smit·ing, smites

v.   tr.

    1. To inflict a heavy blow on, with or as if with the hand, a tool, or a weapon.

    2. To drive or strike (a weapon, for example) forcefully onto or into something else.

    3. To afflict: The population was smitten by the plague.

    4. To afflict retributively; chasten or chastise.

  2. To attack, damage, or destroy by or as if by blows.

    1. To afflict: The population was smitten by the plague.

    2. To afflict retributively; chasten or chastise.

  4. To affect sharply with great feeling: He was smitten by deep remorse.

v.   intr.
To deal a blow with or as if with the hand or a hand-held weapon.

[Middle English smiten, from Old English smītan, to smear.]
smit'er n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

smite 
O.E. smitan "to hit, strike, beat" (strong verb, pt. smat, pp. smiten), from P.Gmc. *smitanan (cf. Swed. smita, Dan. smide "to smear, fling," O.Fris. smita, M.L.G., M.Du. smiten "to cast, fling," Du. smijten "to throw," O.H.G. smizan "to rub, strike," Ger. schmeißen "to cast, fling," Goth. bismeitan "to spread, smear"), perhaps from PIE base *(s)mei- "to smear, to rub," but original sense in Gmc. seems to be of throwing. Sense of "slay in combat" (c.1300) is originally Biblical, smite to death, first attested c.1200. Smitten in the sense of "inspired with love" is from 1663.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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