a disease of plants, esp. cereal grasses, characterized by the conversion of affected parts into black, powdery masses of spores, caused by fungi of the order Ustilaginales.
b.
a fungus causing this disease.
–verb (used with object)
5.
to soil or smudge.
–verb (used without object)
6.
to become affected with smut, as a plant.
[Origin: 1580–90; akin to earlier smit (OE smitte), by assoc. with smudge, smutch]
Any of various plant diseases, especially of cereal grasses, caused by parasitic fungi of the order Ustilaginales that form black powdery masses of spores on the affected parts.
A fungus causing such a disease.
Obscenity in speech or writing.
Pornography.
Any of various plant diseases, especially of cereal grasses, caused by parasitic fungi of the order Ustilaginales that form black powdery masses of spores on the affected parts.
A fungus causing such a disease.
Any of various plant diseases, especially of cereal grasses, caused by parasitic fungi of the order Ustilaginales that form black powdery masses of spores on the affected parts.
A fungus causing such a disease.
v.
smut·ted, smut·ting, smuts
v.
tr.
To blacken or smudge, as with smoke or grime.
To affect (a plant) with smut.
To free (grain, for example) from smut.
To make obscene.
v.
intr.
To emit smut.
To be or become blackened or smudged.
To become affected with smut, as a plant.
[From Middle English smotten, smutten, to defile.]
1664, "black mark, stain," from verb smutten "debase, defile" (early 15c.), cognate with M.H.G. smotzen "make dirty," from W.Gmc. *smutt- (cf. M.H.G. smuz "grease, dirt," Ger. Schmutz "dirt," Ger. schmutzen "to make dirty"). The meaning "indecent or obscene language" is first attested 1668 (implied in smutty).
Any of various bacidiomycete fungi that are parasitic on plants and are distinguished by the black, powdery masses of spores that appear as sooty smudges on the affected plant parts. Smuts are parasitic chiefly on cereal grasses like corn and wheat and can cause enormous damage to crops.
Any of the various plant diseases caused by smuts, such as corn smut.
Burnt\, p. p. & a. Consumed with, or as with, fire; scorched or dried, as with fire or heat; baked or hardened in the fire or the sun. Burnt ear, a black, powdery fungus which destroys grain. See Smut. Burnt offering, something offered and burnt on an altar, as an atonement for sin; a sacrifice. The offerings of the Jews were a clean animal, as an ox, a calf, a goat, or a sheep; or some vegetable substance, as bread, or ears of wheat or barley. Called also burnt sacrifice. --[2 Sam. xxiv. 22.]
Dust\, n. [AS. dust; cf. LG. dust, D. duist meal dust, OD. doest, donst, and G. dunst vapor, OHG. tunist, dunist, a blowing, wind, Icel. dust dust, Dan. dyst mill dust; perh. akin to L. fumus smoke, E. fume. ?.]1. Fine, dry particles of earth or other matter, so comminuted that they may be raised and wafted by the wind; that which is crumbled too minute portions; fine powder; as, clouds of dust; bone dust. Dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. --Gen. iii. 19. Stop! -- for thy tread is on an empire's dust. --Byron. 2. A single particle of earth or other matter. [R.] "To touch a dust of England's ground." --Shak. 3. The earth, as the resting place of the dead. For now shall sleep in the dust. --Job vii. 21. 4. The earthy remains of bodies once alive; the remains of the human body. And you may carve a shrine about my dust. --Tennyson. 5. Figuratively, a worthless thing. And by the merit of vile gold, dross, dust. --Shak. 6. Figuratively, a low or mean condition. [God] raiseth up the poor out of the dust. --1 Sam. ii. 8. 7. Gold dust; hence: (Slang) Coined money; cash. Down with the dust, deposit the cash; pay down the money. [Slang] "My lord, quoth the king, presently deposit your hundred pounds in gold, or else no going hence all the days of your life. . . . The Abbot down with his dust, and glad he escaped so, returned to Reading." --Fuller. Dust brand (Bot.), a fungous plant (Ustilago Carbo); -- called also smut. Gold dust, fine particles of gold, such as are obtained in placer mining; -- often used as money, being transferred by weight. In dust and ashes. See under Ashes. To bite the dust. See under Bite, v. t. Toraise, or kick up, dust, to make a commotion. [Colloq.] To throw dust in one's eyes, to mislead; to deceive. [Colloq.]
Smite\ (sm[imac]t), v. t. [imp. Smote (sm[=o]t), rarely Smit (sm[i^]t); p. p. Smitten (sm[i^]t"t'n), rarely Smit, or Smote; p. pr. & vb. n. Smiting (sm[imac]t"[i^]ng).] [AS. sm[=i]tan to smite, to soil, pollute; akin to OFries. sm[=i]ta to smite, LG. smiten, D. smijten, G. schmeissen, OHG. sm[=i]zan to smear, stroke, OSw. & dial. Sw. smita to smite, Dan. smide to throw, Goth. bismeitan, to anoint, besmear; cf. Skr. m[=e]d to be fat. The original sense seems to have been, to daub on, to smear. Cf. Smut.]1. To strike; to inflict a blow upon with the hand, or with any instrument held in the hand, or with a missile thrown by the hand; as, to smite with the fist, with a rod, sword, spear, or stone. Whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. --Matt. v. 39. And David . . . took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead. --1 Sam. xvii. 49. 2. To cause to strike; to use as an instrument in striking or hurling. Prophesy, and smite thine hands together. --Ezek. xxi. 14. Saul . . . smote the javelin into the wall. --1 Sam. xix. 10. 3. To destroy the life of by beating, or by weapons of any kind; to slay by a blow; to kill; as, to smite one with the sword, or with an arrow or other instrument. 4. To put to rout in battle; to overthrow by war. 5. To blast; to destroy the life or vigor of, as by a stroke or by some visitation. The flax and the barly was smitten. --Ex. ix. 31. 6. To afflict; to chasten; to punish. Let us not mistake God's goodness, nor imagine, because he smites us, that we are forsaken by him. --Wake. 7. To strike or affect with passion, as love or fear. The charms that smite the simple heart. --Pope. Smit with the love of sister arts we came. --Pope. To smite off, to cut off. To smite out, to knock out, as a tooth. --Exod. xxi. 27. To smite with the tongue, to reproach or upbraid; to revile. [Obs.] --Jer. xviii. 18.
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