smudge

[smuhj] /smʌdʒ/
noun
1.
a dirty mark or smear.
2.
a smeary state.
3.
a stifling smoke.
4.
a smoky fire, especially one made for driving away mosquitoes or safeguarding fruit trees from frost.
verb (used with object), smudged, smudging.
5.
to mark with dirty streaks or smears.
6.
to fill with smudge, as to drive away insects or protect fruit trees from frost.
verb (used without object), smudged, smudging.
7.
to form a smudge on something.
8.
to become smudged:
White shoes smudge easily.
9.
to smolder or smoke; emit smoke, as a smudge pot.
Origin
1400-50; late Middle English smogen (v.) < ?
Related forms
smudgedly, adverb
smudgeless, adjective
unsmudged, adjective
Examples from the web for smudge
  • The big smudge in the middle is a powerful storm swirling on the planet.
  • He found that it must be comfortable in the hand and should not smudge.
  • Entire batches can be ruined with a big smudge or rain drops.
  • In the canyons below, the forest flattened into a gray smudge.
  • Instead, even the best earthbound telescopes ordinarily see a star as a fat smudge.
  • She held one up to the light, squinted at a filthy smudge-and was astonished to see ghostly faces staring back at her.
  • Poker, is in fact a game of skill with a smudge of chance.
  • The smudge-proof stainless steel body is great for neat freaks and those of us concerned about leaving our prints around.
  • We're blown away by the phone's smudge-resisting skills.
  • Screen stays smudge-free even after numerous swipes.
British Dictionary definitions for smudge

smudge

/smʌdʒ/
verb
1.
to smear, blur, or soil or cause to do so
2.
(transitive) (mainly US & Canadian) to fill (an area) with smoke in order to drive insects away or guard against frost
noun
3.
a smear or dirty mark
4.
a blurred form or area: that smudge in the distance is a quarry
5.
(mainly US & Canadian) a smoky fire for driving insects away or protecting fruit trees or plants from frost
Derived Forms
smudgeless, adjective
smudgily, smudgedly, adverb
Word Origin
C15: of uncertain origin
Word Origin and History for smudge
v.

early 15c., smogen "to soil, stain, blacken," of obscure origin. Related: Smudged; smudging. Meaning "make a smoky fire" is from 1860, hence smudge-pot (1903). The noun meaning "a stain, spot, smear" is first attested 1768, from the verb.