smudge
smudge Lexical Profile
smudge Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A blurred, smeared, or dirty mark on a surface.
"She wiped a smudge of ink off her cheek with a tissue."
North American A smoky, smoldering fire lit to drive away insects or to protect fruit trees from frost; also, a bundle of dried herbs burned for ceremonial purification.
"The campers lit a small smudge of damp grass to keep the mosquitoes away during the evening."
• verb
To cause something to become messily smeared, blurred, or marked by rubbing.
"Be careful not to smudge the wet charcoal drawing with your sleeve."
To become blurred or smeared when rubbed or touched.
"Soft graphite pencils smudge easily on smooth paper."
North American To fumigate or purify a space, object, or person with smoke from smoldering herbs or a smoky fire.
"They decided to smudge the room with dried sage before the ceremony began."
• Rhymes for smudge
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Dating back to the 15th century as the Middle English verb smogen ('to make dirty or blacken'), probably of Low German origin or an expressive alteration of smutch and smut.