smooth
pronunciation
How to pronounce smooth in British English:
UK [smuːð]
How to pronounce smooth in American English:
US [smuːð]
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- Noun:
- the act of smoothing
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- Verb:
- make smooth or smoother, as if by rubbing
- (of surfaces) make shine
- free from obstructions
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- Adjective:
- having a surface free from roughness or bumps or ridges or irregularities
- smoothly agreeable and courteous with a degree of sophistication
- of the margin of a leaf shape; not broken up into teeth
- not marked with wrinkles
- smooth and unconstrained in movement
- without breaks between notes; smooth and connected
- without chinks or crannies
- lacking obstructions or difficulties
Word Origin
- smooth
- smooth: [OE] Smooth is a mystery word, with no known relatives in any other Indo-European language. The usual term in Old English was smēthe, which survived into modern English dialect speech as smeeth. Smooth comes from the late Old English variant smōth.
- smooth (adj.)
- Old English smoð "smooth, serene, calm," variant of smeðe "free from roughness, not harsh, polished; soft; suave; agreeable," of unknown origin and with no known cognates. Of words, looks, "pleasant, polite, sincere" late 14c., but later "flattering, insinuating" (mid-15c.). Slang meaning "superior, classy, clever" is attested from 1893. Sense of "stylish" is from 1922. Smooth-bore in reference 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 Old English form was smeðe, and there is a dialectal smeeth found in places names, such as Smithfield, Smedley.
- smooth (v.)
- late Old English smoþ "to make smooth," replacing smeðan "to smooth, soften, polish; appease, soothe;" smeðian "smoothen, become smooth," from the source of smooth (adj.). Meaning "to make smooth" is c. 1200. Related: Smoothed; smoothing. Middle English also had a verb form smoothen (mid-14c.).
Example
- 1. You might be surprised how smooth it goes !
- 2. Take off the stove and stir until smooth .
- 3. Is the light / dark gradient smooth or sharp ?
- 4. A swift , smooth transition is in everyone 's interest .
- 5. The ragged , strained breathing becomes as smooth as a kitten 's purr .