▪ I. smeeth, a. and n. Obs. exc. dial.
(smiːθ, smiːð)
Forms: 1 smoeðe, 1–3 smeðe, 2–4 smeþe, 4–5 smethe, smeth (4 smith), 9 dial. smeeth, smeath, smeede, smee.
[OE. smœ́ðe, sméðe (:—*smōþi-), related to smóð smooth a., which is rare in OE. but from c 1400 has almost entirely supplanted smeeth.]
A. adj. Smooth; free from roughness.
| c 725 Corpus Gloss. P 511 Politis, smoeðum. c 825 Vesp. Hymns xii. 7 Ðec stefn smoeðu hlydeð. c 950 Lindisf. Gosp. John xix. 23 Cyrtil unruh vel smoeðe. c 1000 Ags. Gosp. Luke iii. 5 Unᵹerydu [beoð] on smeðe weᵹas. c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 219 Þat he [a rod] he riht and smal and long and smeþe. a 1225 Ancr. R. 2 Þe on riwleð þe heorte, þe makeð hire efne & smeðe. a 1300 Cursor M. 3490 Þe first was born was rogh as hare, þe toþer child was smeth and bare. 1398 Trevisa Barth. De P.R. v. xxxv. (Bodl. MS.), Þe flessch of þe lunges is nassche and smeþe. c 1420 Liber Cocorum (1862) 47 Thou hit sethe With otene grotes, þat ben so smethe. |
| 1808 Jamieson s.v., Smeeth in the mou, a phrase applied to a horse that has lost mark of mouth. 1878 Dickinson Cumbld. Gloss. 89/2 Smeeth, Smee, smooth. 1894 Heslop Northumbld. Gloss. 661 Smeede, smooth... This often occurs in place-names. |
B. n. A level space. E. Angl. dial.
| c 1440 Promp. Parv. 460/2 Smethe, or smothe,..planicies. a 1825 Forby Voc. E. Anglia, Smeath, an open level of considerable extent. [Rye (1895) adds, commonly pronounced and printed Smee.] 1893 H. T. Cozens-Hardy Broad Norf. 70 Smeaa—used for marshland, as ‘Down by the carnser and over the smeaa’. |
▪ II. smeeth, v. Obs. exc. dial.
(smiːð)
Forms: 1 smeðian, smeðan, 2 smeþien, 3 smeðen, 4–5 smeþe, 4–6 smethe, 8 smeath, 9 smeeth.
[OE. smeðian and sméðan, f. smeðe smeeth a.]
trans. To make smooth. Also absol.
| c 1000 Sax. Leechd. II. 210 ærest him is to sellanne þæt þone innoð stille & smeþe. a 1100 in Napier O.E. Glosses 47/2 Salebrosos complanans anfractus, woᵹe smeþiende hylcas. c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 31 He wile seggen and foxliche smeþien mid worde, Nabbe ic nawiht þer-of. a 1225 Ancr. R. 4 Rihten hire & smeðen hire is of euch religiun..al þe strengðe. c 1230 Hali Meid. 27 Ah Ichulle scheawen hit al wið falschipe ismeðet. 1398 Trevisa Barth. De P.R. xvii. lvii. (Bodl. MS.), Enula..haþ vertu to plane and to smethe..and to comforte senewes. Ibid. xix. xlv, Bitter þinges..bi..drynes..beþ made smeþinge & softinge. 1788 W. H. Marshall Yorks. II. 353. 1829 Brockett N.C. Gloss. (ed. 2), Smeeth, to smooth. 1886 Holland Chester Gloss., Smeeth, to iron linen. 1894 Heslop Northumbld. Gloss. 661 Smeeth (the th as in seethe), to smooth. |