smooth definition | Dictionary.com

smooth

[smooth]

adjective, -er, -est, adverb, verb, noun

–adjective

1.	free from projections or unevenness of surface; not rough: smooth wood; a smooth road.

2.	generally flat or unruffled, as a calm sea.

3.	free from hairs or a hairy growth: a smooth cheek.

4.	of uniform consistency; free from lumps, as a batter, sauce, etc.

5.	free from or proceeding without abrupt curves, bends, etc.: a smooth ride.

6.	allowing or having an even, uninterrupted movement or flow: smooth driving.

7.	easy and uniform, as motion or the working of a machine.

8.	having projections worn away: a smooth tire casing.

9.	free from hindrances or difficulties: a smooth day at the office.

10.	noting a metal file having the minimum commercial grade of coarseness for a single-cut file. Compare dead-smooth.

11.	undisturbed, tranquil, or equable, as the feelings, temper, etc.; serene: a smooth disposition.

12.	elegant, easy, or polished: smooth manners.

13.	ingratiatingly polite or suave: That salesman is a smooth talker.

14.	free from harshness, sharpness, or bite; bland or mellow, as cheese or wine.

15.	not harsh to the ear, as sound: the smooth music of a ballroom dance band.

16.	Phonetics. without aspiration.

–adverb

17.	in a smooth manner; smoothly.

–verb (used with object)

18.	to make smooth of surface, as by scraping, planing, or pressing.

19.	to remove (projections, ridges, wrinkles, etc.) in making something smooth (often fol. by away or out).

20.	to free from difficulties.

21.	to remove (obstacles) from a path (often fol. by away).

22.	to make more polished, elegant, or agreeable, as wording or manners.

23.	to tranquilize, calm, or soothe (a person, the feelings, etc.).

24.	Mathematics. to simplify (an expression) by substituting approximate or certain known values for the variables.

–noun

25.	act of smoothing: She adjusted the folds with a smooth of her hand.

26.	something that is smooth; a smooth part or place: through the rough and the smooth.

—Verb phrase

27.	smooth over, to make seem less severe, disagreeable, or irreconcilable; allay; mitigate: He smoothed over my disappointment with kind words.

Origin:
bef. 1050; (adj.) ME smothe, late OE smōth; cf. ME smethe, OE smēthe smooth; c. OS smōthi; (v.) late ME smothen, deriv. of the adj.; r. ME smethen, OE smēth(i)an

Related forms:

smooth⋅a⋅ble, adjective

smoother, noun

smoothly, adverb

smoothness, noun

Synonyms:
1. glossy, polished, even, flat. See level.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source

Link To smooth

smooth (smōōth)

adj. smooth·er, smooth·est

Having a surface free from irregularities, roughness, or projections; even. See Synonyms at level.
Having a fine texture: a smooth fabric.
1. Free from hair, whiskers, or stubble: felt his smooth cheek after the close shave.
2. Having a short dense flat coat. Used of dogs.
Having an even consistency: a smooth pudding.
Having an even or gentle motion or movement: a smooth ride.
Having no obstructions or difficulties: a smooth operation.
Serene: a smooth temperament.
Bland: a smooth wine.
Ingratiatingly polite and agreeable.
Having no grossness or coarseness in dress or manner.

v. smoothed, smooth·ing, smoothes

v. tr.

To make (something) even, level, or unwrinkled.
To rid of obstructions, hindrances, or difficulties.
To soothe or tranquilize; make calm.
To make less harsh or crude; refine.

v. intr.
To become smooth.
n.

The act of smoothing.
A smooth surface or part.

[Middle English smothe, from Old English smōth.]
smooth'er n., smooth'ly adv., smooth'ness 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.
Cite This Source

Smooth

Smooth\ (sm[=oo][th]), a. [Compar. Smoother (-[~e]r); superl. Smoothest.] [OE. smothe, smethe, AS. sm[=e][eth]e, sm[oe][eth]e, where [=e], [oe], come from an older [=o]; cf. LG. sm["o]de, sm["o]e, sm["o]dig; of uncertain origin.]

1. Having an even surface, or a surface so even that no roughness or points can be perceived by the touch; not rough; as, smooth glass; smooth porcelain. --Chaucer.

The outlines must be smooth, imperceptible to the touch, and even, without eminence or cavities. --Dryden.

2. Evenly spread or arranged; sleek; as, smooth hair.

3. Gently flowing; moving equably; not ruffled or obstructed; as, a smooth stream.

4. Flowing or uttered without check, obstruction, or hesitation; not harsh; voluble; even; fluent.

The only smooth poet of those times. --Milton.

Waller was smooth; but Dryden taught to join The varying verse, the full-resounding line. --Pope.

When sage Minerva rose, From her sweet lips smooth elocution flows. --Gay.

5. Bland; mild; smoothing; fattering.

This smooth discourse and mild behavior oft Conceal a traitor. --Addison.

6. (Mech. & Physics) Causing no resistance to a body sliding along its surface; frictionless.

Note: Smooth is often used in the formation of selfexplaining compounds; as, smooth-bodied, smooth-browed, smooth-combed, smooth-faced, smooth-finished, smooth-gliding, smooth-grained, smooth-leaved, smooth-sliding, smooth-speaking, smooth-woven, and the like.

Syn: Even; plain; level; flat; polished; glossy; sleek; soft; bland; mild; soothing; voluble; flattering; adulatory; deceptive.

Smooth

Smooth\, adv. Smoothly. --Chaucer.

Smooth runs the water where the brook is deep. --Shak.

Smooth

Smooth\, n. 1. The act of making smooth; a stroke which smooths. --Thackeray.

2. That which is smooth; the smooth part of anything. "The smooth of his neck." --Gen. xxvii. 16.

Smooth

Smooth\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Smoothed (sm[=oo]thd); p. pr. & vb. n. Smoothing.] [OE. smothen, smethen, AS. sm[=e][eth]ian; cf. LG. sm["o]den. See Smooth, a.] To make smooth; to make even on the surface by any means; as, to smooth a board with a plane; to smooth cloth with an iron. Specifically: (a) To free from obstruction; to make easy.

Thou, Abelard! the last sad office pay, And smooth my passage to the realms of day. --Pope. (b) To free from harshness; to make flowing.

In their motions harmony divine So smooths her charming tones that God's own ear Listens delighted. --Milton. (c) To palliate; to gloze; as, to smooth over a fault. (d) To give a smooth or calm appearance to.

Each perturbation smoothed with outward calm. --Milton. (e) To ease; to regulate. --Dryden.

Smooth

Smooth\, v. i. To flatter; to use blandishment.

Because I can not flatter and speak fair, Smile in men's faces, smooth, deceive and cog. --Shak.

Language Translation for : smooth

Spanish: liso,

German: glatt,

Japanese: なめらかな

More Translations »

smooth

O.E. smoð "free from roughness, not harsh," of unknown origin. Sense of "pleasant, polite, sincere" first recorded c.1390. Slang meaning "superior, classy, clever" is attested from 1893. The verb is first recorded c.1440. Smooth-bore in ref. to guns is from 1812. smooth talk (v.) is recorded from 1950. A 1599 dictionary has smoothboots "a flatterer, a faire spoken man, a cunning tongued fellow." The usual O.E. form was smeðe, and there is a dial. smeeth found in places names, e.g. Smithfield, Smedley.

Main Entry: smooth
Pronunciation: 'smüth
Function: adjective
: forming or being a colony with a flat shiny surface usually made up of organismsthat form no chains or filaments, show characteristic internal changes, and tend toward marked increase in capsule formation and virulence —used of dissociated strains of bacteria; —compareROUGH

smooth

In addition to the idioms beginning with smooth, also see take the rough with the smooth.

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