smut
|smut|
/smʌt/
dirty stain
Etymology
'smut' originates from Middle English, specifically the word 'smut', where it meant 'soot' or 'a black stain'.
'smut' changed from Middle English 'smut(e)', used for soot or a smear, and the form and sense carried into modern English as 'smut'.
Initially, it meant 'soot' or 'a black stain', but over time it also developed senses meaning 'obscene material' and 'a fungal plant disease'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
obscene or pornographic material (books, magazines, images, etc.).
The magazine was filled with smut.
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Noun 2
a fungal disease affecting plants, producing black or sooty masses (called smuts).
Smut devastated the wheat fields this season.
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Noun 3
a small dark spot, smear, or stain (often of soot or dirt).
There was a smut on his sleeve.
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Verb 1
to soil, stain, or blacken with smut (soot or dirt).
Coal smoke smutted the kitchen walls.
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Last updated: 2026/01/15 13:58