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View synonyms for smelt

smelt

1

[ smelt ]

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.


smelt

2

[ smelt ]

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.

smelt

3

[ smelt ]

verb

  1. a simple past tense and past participle of smell.

smelt

1

/ smɛlt /

verb

  1. See smell
    a past tense and past participle of smell


smelt

2

/ smɛlt /

verb

  1. tr to extract (a metal) from (an ore) by heating

smelt

3

/ smɛlt /

noun

  1. 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

smelt

/ smĕlt /

  1. 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.


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Word History and Origins

Origin of smelt1

First recorded in 1535–45; probably from Middle Dutch or Middle Low German smelten; cognate with German schmelzen “to melt, smelt, fuse”; melt 1,

Origin of smelt2

First recorded before 900; Middle English smelt(e), smelth, Old English smelt, smylt; compare Norwegian smelta “whiting”

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Word History and Origins

Origin of smelt1

C15: from Middle Low German, Middle Dutch smelten; related to Old High German smelzan to melt

Origin of smelt2

Old English smylt; related to Dutch, Danish smelt, Norwegian smelta, German Schmelz

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Example Sentences

In 1915, Alcoa bought the unfinished dam, the plant, and the town, and began smelting two years later.

An estimated half of these batteries end up in the informal recycling sector, where they are broken apart and smelted, causing lead particles to leak into the environment.

From Fortune

My nostrils have smelt the horrors of the (cloth) diaper pail.

So far, proposals of “Senate flounder,” “House blowfish,” and “Hope and Change smelt” have met with little public acceptance.

The Romans learned how to smelt copper into brass, then bronze, to make weapons, and suddenly war was an entirely different game.

A moment later there was Something nearly at his left elbow, and he smelt again the nameless, fœtid reek.

But also he saw strange, unaccustomed raiment, he saw a sheet of gold, he smelt the soft breath of ambra.

I offered one of them a small bronze ring; he took it, smelt it, shook his head, and gave me to understand that it was not gold.

I merely just touched a piece of fresh rind, and my hands smelt of it the next morning.

Hunters are abundantly aware of this, and have to be quite as careful to avoid being smelt by their game as to avoid being seen.

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smellysmelter