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Smudge

name, noun, verb

Definitions

Proper Noun
  1. 1
    A nickname of someone with the surname Smith. Australia, UK

    "For quotations using this term, see Citations:Smudge."

Noun
  1. 1
    A blemish or smear, especially a dark or sooty one. countable, uncountable

    "There was a smudge on the paper."

  2. 2
    a blemish made by dirt wordnet
  3. 3
    Dense smoke, such as that used for fumigation. countable, uncountable
  4. 4
    a smoky fire to drive away insects wordnet
  5. 5
    A heap of damp combustibles partially ignited and burning slowly, placed on the windward side of a house, tent, etc. to keep off mosquitoes or other insects. US, countable, uncountable

    "Then "smudges" are in vogue,—heaps of damp combustibles placed on the windward side of the house and partially ignited, that their inky steams may smother the mosquitoes while we take our chance. I have had a "smudge" made in a chafing-dish at my bedside, after a serious deliberation between choking and being devoured at small mouthfuls; and I conscientiously recommend choking, or running the risk of it, at least."

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  1. 6
    A quantity of herbs used in suffumigation. countable, especially, uncountable

    "Devil's dirt or asafetida ground together with fenugreek and black cumin seed is used as a smudge against witches and […]"

Verb
  1. 1
    To obscure by blurring; to smear.
  2. 2
    make a smudge on; soil by smudging wordnet
  3. 3
    To soil or smear with dirt.
  4. 4
    To use dense smoke to protect from insects.
  5. 5
    To stifle or smother with smoke.
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  1. 6
    To burn herbs as a cleansing ritual (suffumigation). intransitive
  2. 7
    To subject to ritual burning of herbs (suffumigation, smudging). transitive

    "This is easily done using incense to smudge yourself or taking a cleansing bath. To smudge your body use an incense mixture such as sandalwood, lavender, frankincense or myrrh."

Etymology

Etymology 1

Derived from the verb (see below). Doublet of smutch.

Etymology 2

From Middle English *smogen (attested in the gerund smogynge (“soiling, smudging”)), of obscure origin. Compare Middle English besmudded, bismuddet (“filthy”), Middle English smod (“filth, obscene behaviour”), Middle Dutch smoddich (“filthy, dirty”), German schmutzig (“dirty, filthy”).

Etymology 3

As smiths are often covered in smudges of soot.

See also for "smudge"

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