Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Having a surface free from irregularities, roughness, or projections; even. synonym: level.
  • adjective Free from waves or disturbances; calm.
  • adjective Free from hair, whiskers, or stubble.
  • adjective Having a short dense flat coat. Used of dogs.
  • adjective Having a fine texture.
  • adjective Having an even consistency.
  • adjective Having an even or gentle motion or movement.
  • adjective Having no obstructions or difficulties.
  • adjective Easy-going; serene.
  • adjective Not sharp or bitter in taste.
  • adjective Delicately pleasing to the ear; not harsh or grating.
  • adjective Ingratiatingly polite and agreeable.
  • intransitive verb To make (something) even, level, or unwrinkled.
  • intransitive verb To rid of obstructions, hindrances, or difficulties.
  • intransitive verb To soothe or tranquilize; make calm.
  • intransitive verb To cause to appear less harsh or severe than is the case.
  • intransitive verb To become smooth.
  • noun The act of smoothing.
  • noun A smooth surface or part.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To make smooth; make even on the surface by any means: as, to smooth a board with a plane; to smooth cloth with an iron.
  • To free from obstruction; make easy; remove, as an obstruction or difficulty.
  • To free from harshness; make flowing.
  • To palliate; soften.
  • To calm; mollify; allay.
  • To make agreeable; make flattering.
  • To utter agreeably; hence, to free from blame; exonerate.
  • To modify (a given series of values) so as to remove irregularities.
  • To become smooth.
  • To repeat flattering or wheedling words.
  • Numerical methods, in which the means are taken of successive pairs of observations and again the means of successive means. This process may be repeated indefinitely, and is known as Bloxaming or Bloxam's method. An analogous method, but one more nearly in accord with the precepts of the laws of chance, is embodied in the following rule, devised by Dr. Galle of Breslau, for combining together seven consecutive daily means a ……. g into one value for the median date :
  • This formula can be rearranged so as to reduce the whole process of computation to a simple system of summing and halving.
  • In old music, same as plain, 16.
  • Having a surface so uniform that the eye and the touch do not readily detect any projections or irregularities in it; not rough; of water, not ruffied, or not undulating.
  • Free from hair: as, a smooth face.
  • Free from lumps: especially noting flour, starch, and the like.
  • Not harsh; not rugged; even; harmonious.
  • Using pleasing or euphonious language.
  • In Greek grammar, free from aspiration; not rough: as, a smooth mute; the smooth breathing.
  • Bland; mild; soothing; insinuating; wheedling: noting persons or speech, etc.
  • Free from anything disagreeable or unpleasant.
  • Unruffled; calm; even; complaisant: as, a smooth temper.
  • Without jolt, jar, or shock; even: as, smooth sailing; smooth driving.
  • Gentle; mild; placid.
  • Free from astringency, tartness, or any stinging or titillating character; soft to the nerves of taste: used especially of spirit.
  • In zoology, not rough, as an unsculptured surface, or one without visible elevations (as granules, points, papillæ, and nodes) or impressions (as striæ, punctures, and foveæ), though it may be thinly clothed with hairs or minute scales.
  • In botany, either opposed to scabrous (that is, not rough), or equivalent to glabrous (that is, not pubescent): the former is the more correct sense.
  • Synonyms Plain, level, polished.

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English smothe, from Old English smōth.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle English smoothe, smothe, smethe, from Old English smōþ, smōþe ("smooth, serene, calm, unruffled") and Old English smēþe ("smooth, polished, soft, without roughness or inequalities of surface, without discomfort or annoyance, suave, agreeable, avoiding offence, not irritating, not harsh, melodious, harmonious, lenitive"), both from Proto-Germanic *smanþaz, *smanþiz (“smooth, soft”), of unknown origin. Cognate with Scots smuith ("smooth"), Low German smode, smoede, smoe ("smooth"), Low German smödig ("smooth, malleable, ductile").

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word smooth.

Examples

  • I remember rightly, all her prizes were won in light winds or smooth water; and though I do not believe we could do anything with her in a staggering whole-sail breeze in _smooth_ water, I fancy we could give a good account of her in a Channel match.

    For Treasure Bound Harry Collingwood 1886

  • As he scrambles to his feet, all his Latin smooth is gone.

    A DROP OF THE HARD STUFF • by S.J. Higbee 2010

  • When the term smooth is used in this sense, Smith said it means there is very little on the slope that will act to anchor the snow in place, like trees and rocks.

    Sierra Sun - Top Stories 2009

  • He said his party is still committed to what he described as a smooth, full implementation of the rest of the provisions of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement CPA.

    NCP Proposes Extended Interim Period to Resolve Issues 2011

  • Officials who provided details of how it all unfolded concentrated Friday on what they described as the smooth integration of the administration's law enforcement, intelligence and diplomatic teams in tracking the Russian agents and turning the situation into a national security victory rather than a source of political and public concern and potential criticism.

    U.S. seized opportunity in arrests of Russian spies 2010

  • Officials who provided details of how it all unfolded concentrated Friday on what they described as the smooth integration of the administration's law enforcement, intelligence and diplomatic teams in tracking the Russian agents and turning the situation into a national security victory rather than a source of political and public concern and potential criticism.

    U.S. seized opportunity in arrests of Russian spies 2010

  • Buy the chunky kind, don't buy the smooth, the smooth is also for soccer players, credit card consultants, and guys that masturbate to Survivor and other unwatchable reality-based television shows.

    Archive 2007-04-01 2007

  • It must write in smooth lines of black, not catch on the page.

    Friday! emilytheslayer 2009

  • It must write in smooth lines of black, not catch on the page.

    Valentines, part the first mllelaurel 2009

  • The place where we are joined is a secret place for Hattie and me, especially since everyone always wants to look at it — a bone hinge covered in smooth skin, our spines locked together at the base.

    Bone Hinge 2010

  • Compared to other intelligence-based insults like “idiot” or “moron,” “smooth brain” has a certain je ne sais quoi. It’s more specific, more visual, and let’s face it, it just sounds funnier.

    Smooth Brain Insult: Exploring the Slang and Its Impact NeuroLaunch editorial team 2024

  • Smooth brain means you’re dumb wrinkly brain means you’re smart.

    My friend called me "smooth brain" when I was trying to explain my adhd to her and I don't know how to feel about it. hardcoregore 2024

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.