noun / verb

smear

SMEER/smɪr/

A messy coating spread across a surface.

He leaves a broad smear of red paint across the white board.

A young man drags his paint-covered palm across a clean white board, spreading a blob of red paint into a broad, uneven streak with visible finger trails and messy edges.

Etymology

smearOld Englishto anoint, rub with ointment

Smerian described rubbing on oil or ointment, but also coating something too thickly with a sticky substance. That second use already contains the messy spreading expressed by smear today.

In context

ANCIENT NATIONS47:24

They take a young oak sapling and before bringing it inside, they smear it with the blood of a freshly slaughtered fowl or goat.

Stolen Rituals? How Pagan Rome Shaped the Modern Church | History Podcast

More examples

A smear of chocolate covers the corner of her mouth.
She smears glue over the cardboard with her finger.
The damp cloth leaves greasy smears on the window.

Forms

smear · smears · smeared · smearing

Similar words

smudge: Usually a blurred dirty mark, rather than a coating.
streak: Emphasizes a long, narrow mark rather than an uneven coating.
daub: Often a small, thick patch of carelessly applied material.