Dictionary Thesaurus Word Dynamo Quotes Reference Translator Spanish

smut

[smuht]

Origin

noun

a particle of soot; sooty matter.

a black or dirty mark; smudge.

indecent language or publications; obscenity.

Plant Pathology.

a disease of plants, especially cereal grasses, characterized by the conversion of affected parts into black, powdery masses of spores, caused by fungi of the order Ustilaginales.

a fungus causing this disease.

verb (used with object)

to soil or smudge.

:10

:09

:08

:07

:06

:05

:04

:03

:02

:01

Smut is one of our favorite verbs.

So is hornswoggle. Does it mean:

to expurgate (a written work) by removing or modifying passages considered vulgar or objectionable.

to swindle, cheat, hoodwink, or hoax.

LEARN MORE FUN, UNUSUAL VERBS WITH WORD DYNAMO...

verb (used without object)

to become affected with smut, as a plant.

Origin:
1580–90; akin to earlier smit (Old English smitte), by association with smudge, smutch

Related forms

an·ti·smut, adjective

un·smut·ted, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source

Link To smut

Collins

World English Dictionary

smut (smʌt)

—n
1.	a small dark smudge or stain, esp one caused by soot
2.	a speck of soot or dirt
3.	something obscene or indecent
4.	a. any of various fungal diseases of flowering plants, esp cereals, in which black sooty masses of spores cover the affected parts
	b. any parasitic basidiomycetous fungus of the order Ustilaginales that causes such a disease
5.	angling a minute midge or other insect relished by trout

—vb , smuts, smutting, smutted
6.	to mark or become marked or smudged, as with soot
7.	to affect (grain) or (of grain) to be affected with smut
8.	(tr) to remove smut from (grain)
9.	(tr) to make obscene
10.	(intr) to emit soot or smut
11.	(intr) angling (of trout) to feed voraciously on smuts

[Old English smitte; related to Middle High German smitze; associated with smudge, smutch]

'smutty

—*adj*

'smuttily

—*adv*

'smuttiness

—n

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source

Etymonline

Word Origin & History

smut

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

EXPAND

smutty).

COLLAPSE

American Heritage

Science Dictionary

smut (smŭt) Pronunciation Key

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.

Partners:Word Bloglines Citysearch The Daily Beast Ask Answers Ask Kids Life123 Sendori Thesaurus

About Privacy Policy Terms of Use API Careers Advertise with Us Contact Us Help