besmear

Word Origin & History

Old English bismierwan, besmyrwan (West Saxon), besmerwan (Anglian); see be- + smear (v.). Related: Besmeared; besmearing.

They also besmear their bodies with grease and coloured earths.

His intensity of loathing leads him to besmear his antagonists with filth.

They make little fires during the day, sleeping at night among the warm ashes, with which they besmear their bodies.

In all history it has been shown that he who seeks to besmear others usually leaves the greatest amount of mud on himself.

When serpents sting, the only remedy is to kill the serpent, and besmear the wound with the fat.

The reverse of besmear is to rub off; hence to obliterate means to rub out, to erase.

Letter (from L. linere, to besmear); so called because smeared on parchment and not cut on wood.

The colours with which they besmear the bodies of both sexes possibly date from the same common origin.

Was it honour and fair play to besmear my mother's name, to throw reflections upon my birth?

They fashion his image of kadamb7 wood and besmear it with red lead.

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verb defile