▪ I. smirk, n.
(smɜːk)
[f. smirk v.]
1. An affected or simpering smile; a silly, conceited, smiling look.
| c 1560 Ingelend Disobedient Child in Hazl. Dodsley II. 297 How many smirks and dulsome kisses! 1599 B. Jonson Cynthia's Rev. v. iii. Palinode, From Spanish shrugs, French faces, smirks, irpes, and all affected humours. 1675 Wycherley Country Wife iv. i, He has the canonical smirk, and the filthy clammy palm of a chaplain. 1718 Lady M. W. Montagu Lett. II. liv. 81 A jolly face, and a stupid smirk in his countenance. 1782 F. Burney Cecilia v. i, He was regarding her with a facetious smirk. 1814 Scott Wav. lxi, Fortunately the bride, all smirk and blush, had just entered the room. 1882 M. E. Braddon Mt. Royal III. viii. 164 ‘It is a poet's privilege to worship the beautiful, Leo,’ said the Baron, with a self-satisfied smirk. |
† 2. slang. (See quot.) Obs.—0
| a 1700 B. E. Dict. Cant. Crew, Smirk, a finical, spruce Fellow. |
▪ II. smirk, a. and adv.
(smɜːk)
Also 6 smyrke, 6–7 smirke.
[app. f. smirk v.; but perh. partly suggested by smicker a.]
A. adj.
1. Neat, trim, spruce in dress or appearance; pleasant, agreeable. Also U.S., smug. Now chiefly dial.
| a 1530 Heywood Love (Brandl) 349, I am at one poynt with women all, The smotest, the smyrkest, the smallest [etc.]. 1579 Spenser Sheph. Cal. Feb. 72 Seest, howe brag yond Bullocke beares, So smirke, so smoothe, his pricked eares? 1598 Florio, Trisciato, smooth, vp-straight, smug, smirke, handsomlie drest vp. 1614 J. Davies (Heref.) Ecl. betw. Yng. Willie & Old W. 159 Thy past'rall Minstralsy Beating the aire, atweene resounding Hils, Draw to thee Bonibels as smirke, as hy. 1648 Herrick Hesp., Nuptial Song Sir C. Crew vii, The smirk Butler thinks it Sin, in's Nap'rie, not to express his wit. 1791 J. Learmont Poems 43 Shaws whilk road is best to follow Fu' sweet an' smirk. 1847 Halliw., Smirk, neat; trim. Oxon. 1873 ‘Ouida’ Pascarèl II. 246 Italy cannot be trim and smirk in modern wise and modern gear. |
† 2. Of mental faculties: Quick, ready, smart.
| 1607 T. Walkington Opt. Gl. xii. 67 A nimble dextericall, smirke, prægnant, extemporary invention. Ibid. 82 A smirke, quick, & dextericall wit. |
† 3. Eager, ardent. Obs.—1
| 1674 N. Fairfax Bulk & Selv. 129 According as the begetter is hotter and smirker, or cold and listlesser. |
† B. adv. Smirkingly. Obs.—1
| 1556 Heywood Spider & Fly xii. 13 Wherat the spider, smirke, and smothlie smiled. |
▪ III. smirk, v.
(smɜːk)
Forms: 1 smearcian, 1–2 smercian, 6–7 smerk(e; 3– smirk, 5 smyrke, 6 Sc. smyrk, 7 smirke, 8–9 dial. smurk, etc.
[OE. smearcian, smercian, app. not represented in any of the cognate languages.]
1. intr. To smile; in later use, to smile in an affected, self-satisfied, or silly manner; to simper.
| c 888 K. ælfred Boeth. xxxix. §4 Ða ongon he smearcian & cwæð to me. Ibid. xxxiv. §10 Ða smearcode he & cwæð. 971 Blickling Hom. 189 Þa Neron þæt ᵹehyrde, þa smercode he. a 1023 Wulfstan Hom. (1883) 140 Þonne þu smercodest and hloᵹe, þonne weop ic biterlice. a 1225 Leg. Kath. 356 Þeos meiden lette lutel of al þet he seide, & smirkinde smeðeliche ȝef him þullich onswere. |
| a 1500 in Ratis Raving, etc. (1870) 108 [Let her] kep her [self] in kirk To kek abak, to lauch, or smyrke. 1577–82 Breton Toyes Idle Head Wks. (Grosart) I. 37/1 But who so smirking smiles with merry cheare, That countenance shewes that some good newes is neare. 1601 Holland Pliny II. 500 A sober Matron weeping, and a light Courtesan smirking. 1604 Friar Bacon's Proph. 131 in Hazl. E.P.P. IV. 273 He would smirke and she would smile. 1706 Phillips (ed. Kersey), To Smirk, to smile, or look pleasant. 1747 Relph Poems Gloss., To Smurk, to smile. 1796 F. Burney Camilla IV. 327 The young perfumer came, smirking and scraping, into the room. 1833 Tennyson Goose 20 The parson smirk'd and nodded. 1862 Sala Seven Sons I. iii. 51 The little man comes smirking and bowing up to her. 1883 Stevenson Silverado Sq. 63 He had a projecting under-lip, with which he continually smiled, or rather smirked. |
b. Const. at, on, or upon a person, etc.
| a 1500 in Ratis Raving, etc. (1870) 86 With mekil langag but mesure, Smyrkand one euery creature. 1523 Skelton Garl. Laurel 762 He wyll set men a feightynge and syt hymselfe styll, And smerke, lyke a smythy kur, at sperkes of steile. 1567 Drant Horace, Ep. A iij, The cheares of men as theie will smerke on those that vse to smyle. 1707 Refl. upon Ridicule 207 An Old Dotard smirking upon a Young and Handsome Woman. 1839 Dickens Nich. Nick. iii, Gentlemen smirking at each other out of blue and brown skies. 1880 W. H. Dixon Windsor III. xiv. 130 Dick smirked at Alice. |
| transf. 1846 Landor Imag. Conv. I. 121 Any vices or follies..rather than those that..smirk on us in silks and satins at our churches. |
† 2. trans. To trim up, to make neat or spruce.
| 1596 Nashe Saffron Walden Ep. Ded. cij b, Will it please you to bee cosmologized and smirkt? |
3. To utter with a smirk. rare—1.
| 1879 Browning Martin Relph 129 Till the first knave smirked ‘You brag Yourself a friend of the king's?’ |
Hence ˈsmirker, one who smirks.
| 1756 Cowper Connoisseur No. 138 ¶4 The Smirkers and Smilers, who so prettily set off their faces..by a je-ne-s{cced}ai-quoi between a grin and a dimple. |