smelt
Use Smelt in a sentence
verb (used with object)
1.
to fuse or melt (ore) in order to separate the metal contained.
2.
to obtain or refine (metal) in this way.
Origin:
1535–45; probably < Middle Dutch or Middle Low German smelten; cognate with German schmelzen to melt1, smelt
1535–45; probably < Middle Dutch or Middle Low German smelten; cognate with German schmelzen to melt1, smelt
Dictionary.com Unabridged
noun, plural (especially collectively) smelt (especially referring to two or more kinds or species) smelts.
1.
any of various small, silvery food fishes of the family Osmeridae, of cold northern waters, as the North American rainbow smelt, Osmerus mordax.
2.
any of several superficially similar but unrelated fishes, especially certain silversides, of California.
Origin:
before 900; Middle English, Old English; compare Norwegian smelta whiting
before 900; Middle English, Old English; compare Norwegian smelta whiting
00:10
Smelt
is one of our favorite verbs.
So is skedaddle. Does it mean:
| to bark; yelp. |
| to run away hurriedly; flee. |
verb
a simple past tense and past participle of smell.
verb (used with object)
1.
to perceive the odor or scent of through the nose by means of the olfactory nerves; inhale the odor of: I smell something burning.
2.
to test by the sense of smell: She smelled the meat to see if it was fresh.
3.
to perceive, detect, or discover by shrewdness or sagacity: The detective smelled foul play.
verb (used without object)
4.
to perceive something by its odor or scent.
5.
to search or investigate (followed by around or about ).
6.
to give off or have an odor or scent: Do the yellow roses smell?
7.
to give out an offensive odor; stink.
8.
to have a particular odor (followed by of ): My hands smell of fish.
noun
Verb phrases 12.
the sense of smell; faculty of smelling.
13.
the quality of a thing that is or may be smelled; odor; scent.
14.
a trace or suggestion.
15.
an act or instance of smelling.
16.
a pervading appearance, character, quality, or influence: the smell of money.
17.
smell out, to look for or detect as if by smelling; search out: to smell out enemy spies.
18.
Idioms smell up, to fill with an offensive odor; stink up: The garbage smelled up the yard.
19.
Origin:
1125–75; early Middle English smell, smull (noun), smellen, smullen (v.) < ?
1125–75; early Middle English smell, smull (noun), smellen, smullen (v.) < ?
Related forms
smell·a·ble, adjective
smell-less, adjective
out·smell, verb (used with object), out·smelled or out·smelt, out·smel·ling.
un·smelled, adjective
un·smell·ing, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
|
Link To smelt
Collins
World English Dictionary
smell (smɛl) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —vb (often foll by of) (often foll by out) (foll by of) , smells, smelling, smelt, smelled | |
| 1. | (tr) to perceive the scent or odour of (a substance) by means of the olfactory nerves |
| 2. | (copula) to have a specified smell; appear to the sense of smell to be: the beaches smell of seaweed; some tobacco smells very sweet |
| 3. | to emit an odour (of): the park smells of flowers |
| 4. | (intr) to emit an unpleasant odour; stink |
| 5. | to detect through shrewdness or instinct |
| 6. | (intr) to have or use the sense of smell; sniff |
| 7. | to give indications (of): he smells of money |
| 8. | (intr; |
| 9. | (copula) to be or seem to be untrustworthy or corrupt |
| 10. | smell a rat to detect something suspicious |
| —n | |
| 11. | that sense (olfaction) by which scents or odours are perceivedRelated: olfactory |
| 12. | anything detected by the sense of smell; odour; scent |
| 13. | a trace or indication |
| 14. | the act or an instance of smelling |
| Related: olfactory | |
| [C12: of uncertain origin; compare Middle Dutch smölen to scorch] | |
| 'smeller | |
| —n | |
| smelt1 (smɛlt) | |
| —vb | |
| (tr) to extract (a metal) from (an ore) by heating | |
| [C15: from Middle Low German, Middle Dutch smelten; related to Old High German smelzan to melt] | |
| smelt2 (smɛlt) | |
| —n , pl smelt, smelts | |
| any marine or freshwater salmonoid food fish of the family Osmeridae, such as Osmerus eperlanus of Europe, having a long silvery body and occurring in temperate and cold northern waters | |
| [Old English smylt; related to Dutch, Danish smelt, Norwegian smelta, German Schmelz] | |
| smelt3 (smɛlt) | |
| —vb | |
| a past tense and past participle of smell | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
smell
c.1175, "emit or perceive an odor," also n., "odor, aroma, stench," not found in O.E., perhaps cognate with M.Du. smolen, Low Ger. smelen "to smolder" (see smolder). OED says "no doubt of O.E. origin, but not recorded, and not represented in any of the cognate languages."
Ousted O.E. stenc (see stench) in most senses. Someone should revive smell-feast (n.) "one who scents out where free food is to be had" (1519, "very common" c.1540-1700, OED) and smell-smock "licentious man" (c.1550-1900). To smell a rat "be suspicious" is from 1550.
smelt
1455 (implied in smelter), from Du. or Low Ger. smelten, cognate with O.H.G. smelzan, Ger. schmelzen "to melt;" apparently a variant of the stem of O.E. meltan "to melt" (see melt).
smelt
O.E. smelt "small salmon-like sea fish," cognate with Du. smelt "sand eel," Dan. smelt (c.1600). OED notes that it has a peculiar odor (but doesn't suggest a connection with smell); Klein suggests a connection with the way the fish melts in one's mouth.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary
smell (směl)
v. smelled or smelt (smělt), smell·ing, smells
To perceive the scent of something by means of the olfactory nerves. n.
The sense by which odors are perceived; the olfactory sense.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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American Heritage
Science Dictionary
| smelt (smělt) Pronunciation Key
To melt ores in order to extract the metals they contain. Oxide ores, such as iron ore, are smelted with carbon, which serves as a fuel and changes the ore into a reduced metal. |
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Example sentences
So were our sushi selections, including smelt and yellowtail.
It's not uncommon to open a landlocked salmon's stomach and find several smelt inside, in various stages of decomposition.
Rose had smelt his breath and discerned only a chronic and lingering halitosis.
But for certain the public-sector unions have smelt both money and an approaching general election.
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