SMELTS

Noun

smelts

plural of smelt

Verb

smelts

Third-person singular simple present indicative form of smelt

Source: Wiktionary


SMELT

Smelt, imp. & p. p.

Definition: of Smell.

Smelt, n. Etym: [AS. smelt, smylt; akin to Dan. smelt.]

1. (Zoöl.)

Definition: Any one of numerous species of small silvery salmonoid fishes of the genus Osmerus and allied genera, which ascend rivers to spawn, and sometimes become landlocked in lakes. They are esteemed as food, and have a peculiar odor and taste.

Note: The most important species are the European smelt (Osmerus eperlans) (called also eperlan, sparling, and spirling), the Eastern American smelt (O. mordax), the California smelt (O. thalichthys), and the surf smelt (Hypomesus olidus). The name is loosely applied to various other small fishes, as the lant, the California tomcod, the spawn eater, the silverside.

2. Fig.: A gull; a simpleton. [Obs.] eau & Fl. Sand smelt (Zoöl.), the silverside.

Smelt, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Smelted; p. pr. & vb. n. Smelting.] Etym: [Of foreign origin; cf. Sw. smälta, D. smelten, Dan. smelte, Icel. smelta, G. schmelzen OHG. smelzan, smelzen; probably akin to Gr. Enamel, Melt, Mute, v. i., Smalt.] (Metal.)

Definition: To melt or fuse, as, ore, for the purpose of separating and refining the metal; hence, to reduce; to refine; to flux or scorify; as, to smelt tin.

SMELL

Smell, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Smelled, Smelt (; p. pr. & vb. n. Smelling.] Etym: [OE. smellen, smillen, smullen; cf. LG. smellen, smelen, smölen, schmelen, to smoke, to reek, D. smeulen to smolder, and E. smolder. Cf. Smell, n.]

1. To perceive by the olfactory nerves, or organs of smell; to have a sensation of, excited through the nasal organs when affected by the appropriate materials or qualities; to obtain the scent of; as, to smell a rose; to smell perfumes.

2. To detect or perceive, as if by the sense of smell; to scent out;

– often with out. "I smell a device." Shak. Can you smell him out by that Shak.

3. To give heed to. [Obs.] From that time forward I began to smellthe Word of God, and forsook the school doctors. Latimer. To smell a rat, to have a sense of something wrong, not clearly evident; to have reason for suspicion. [Colloq.] -- To smell out, to find out by sagacity. [Colloq.]

Smell, v. i.

1. To affect the olfactory nerves; to have an odor or scent; -- often followed by of; as, to smell of smoke, or of musk.

2. To have a particular tincture or smack of any quality; to savor; as, a report smells of calumny. Praises in an enemy are superfluous, or smell of craft. Milton.

3. To exercise the sense of smell. Ex. xxx. 38.

4. To exercise sagacity. Shak.

Smell, n. Etym: [OE. smel, smil, smul, smeol. See Smell, v. t.] (Physiol.)

1. The sense or faculty by which certain qualities of bodies are perceived through the instrumentally of the olfactory nerves. See Sense.

2. The quality of any thing or substance, or emanation therefrom, which affects the olfactory organs; odor; scent; fragrance; perfume; as, the smell of mint. Breathing the smell of field and grove. Milton. That which, above all others, yields the sweetest smell in the air, is the violent. Bacon.

Syn.

– Scent; odor; perfume; fragrance.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

3 April 2025

WHOLE

(noun) an assemblage of parts that is regarded as a single entity; “how big is that part compared to the whole?”; “the team is a unit”


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