| a container for burning oil or other fuels to produce smudge, as for protecting fruit trees from frost. |
| smudge pot n. A receptacle in which oil or another smoky fuel is burned to protect an orchard from insects or frost. |
smudge pot
device, usually an oil container with some crude oil burning in the bottom, used in fruit orchards, especially citrus groves, to provide protection against frost. The smoke serves as a blanket to reduce heat losses due to outgoing radiation. Because of the air pollution they generate smudge pots have been generally supplanted by other means of frost protection, such as smokeless burners using natural gas.
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