smelt
smelt Lexical Profile
smelt Game Scores & Validity
• verb
To extract pure metal from its ore by a process involving heating and melting, often accompanied by a chemical reducing agent to separate out the slag.
"Ancient metallurgists learned to smelt copper ore in charcoal-fired furnaces over five thousand years ago."
British To perceive or detect the odor or scent of something (serving as the past tense and past participle of 'smell').
"The kitchen smelt wonderfully of freshly baked cinnamon rolls and brewed coffee."
• noun
Any of various small, slender, silvery food fishes of the family Osmeridae, native to cold northern coastal waters and freshwater lakes of the Atlantic and Pacific basins, many of which are anadromous and migrate up rivers to spawn.
"During the spring run, thousands of silvery smelt swim upstream into the shallow tributaries to spawn."
The delicate, mildly oily flesh of the smelt fish, typically coated in flour or batter and fried whole to be eaten bones and all.
"The lakeside tavern is famous for its platters of crispy fried smelt served with tartar sauce and lemon wedges."
Word Nuance & Usage
In British and Commonwealth English, 'smelt' is widely used alongside 'smelled' as the past tense and past participle of the verb 'smell', whereas American English strongly favors 'smelled'. As a noun referring to the fish, the plural can be either 'smelt' (collectively) or 'smelts'.
• Rhymes for smelt
Word Origin & Etymology
The metallurgical verb was borrowed in the 16th century from Middle Dutch or Middle Low German 'smelten' (to melt, fuse), sharing a Proto-Germanic root with English 'melt'. The fish name derives from Old English 'smelt', of uncertain origin, though sometimes linked to the fish's smooth, shiny appearance or distinctive cucumber-like odor.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.