▪ I. smolt, n.1 Orig. Sc. and north.
(sməʊlt)
Forms: α. 6 smolte, 6–7, 9 smolt, 9 smoult. β. 6–7 smowte, 7 smowt, 8–9 smout, 9 smoot.
[Of doubtful origin: connexion with smolt a. is not clear. A later form is smelt: see smelt n.1 3.]
1. A young salmon in the stage intermediate between the parr and the grilse, when it becomes covered with silvery scales and migrates to the sea for the first time.
| α 1469 Sc. Acts, Jas. III, c. 13 (1814) II. 96 All myllaris þat slais Smo[l]tis with crelis or ony vthir maner of way. 1510 Reg. Magni Sig. Scot. I. 730 Cum piscationibus, exceptis salmonibus, le keppir, et smolts. c 1575 Balfour's Practicks (1754) 581 That they tak smoltis or salmond in the miln-dammis. 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. 97 Siclike smolts, sould not be taken..fra the middes of Aprill, to the nativitie of Saint John the Baptist. 1804 A. Hunter Georg. Ess. II. 513 At this period of time they are from four to six inches in length only, being in some places called smoults. 1862 Act 25 & 26 Vict. c. 97 §2 ‘Salmon’ shall..include..sea trout, bull trout, smolts, parr, and other migratory fish of the salmon kind. 1881 Standard 10 Sept. 2/1 The migratory instinct does not occur till the young fish have become what are called ‘smolts’. |
| attrib. 1886 Encycl. Brit. XXI. 224 The young salmon, as soon as the smolt stage is reached, migrates down the rivers to the sea. |
| β 1533–4 Act 25 Hen. VIII, c. 7 The yonge frie, spaume, or broode of any kinde of salmon, called lakspinkes, smowtes, or salmon pele. 1677 Johnson in Ray's Corr. (1848) 127 In Cumberland, the fishers,..after the first summer, call them free, or frie, as we [in Yorkshire] smowts or smelts, before they come to be lackes. 1769 Pennant Brit. Zool. III. 242 The young [salmon]..gradually increase to the length of four or five inches, and are then termed Smelts or Smouts. 1803 J. Walker in Prize Ess. Highland Soc. II. 351 They are called samlets,..but are generally known among our country people by the name of salmon smouts. 1866 C. W. Hatfield Notices Doncaster I. 99 The young of the salmon..was known only as a smolt or ‘smout’. |
b. transf. A small person or thing.
| 1808 Jamieson, Smolt, metaph. used to denote a child. 1868 W. Shelley Flowers 199 Mamma's pet, Smirkin' smout. 1894 Heslop Northumbld. Gloss., Smout.., anything small. |
2. ‘A small trout of the speckled kind’ (Jamieson's Sc. Dict. 1882 s.v. Smout).
▪ II. † smolt, n.2 Obs. rare.
Also 5 smolte.
[OE. smolt, = MLG. and LG. smolt (hence MDa., Norw., Icel. smolt, Sw. smult), MDu. and Du. smout, related to MLG. (and LG.) smalt, OHG. smalz (G. schmalz); both stems are ablaut-grades of *smeltan to melt: see smelt v.]
Lard, fat.
In the later quots. perh. after MLG. or MDu.
| a 1000 in Anglia XIII. 404 Pinguedo, smolt. a 1100 in Napier O.E. Lex. 58 Þær sculan eac ii fætte swyn up arisan to smolte. 1430 Maldon Court-Rolls (Bundle 18, No. 3), 1 barell. de smolte, et dimid. barell. de smolte. 1502 Arnolde Chron. (1811) 74 Salt smolt, for the barel, iii d. |
▪ III. smolt, a. Now only dial.
(sməʊlt)
Also 6, 9 dial. smoult, 6 Sc. smowt.
[OE. smolt, = MDu. smolt, smout (WFris. smout sheltered), Da. smult; cf. OS. smultro quietly, calmly, MSw. smultna (Sw. dial. smyltna) to become calm. A commoner form in OE. was smylte.]
† 1. Of weather: Fair, fine, calm. Obs.
Halliwell's ‘Smoult, hot; sultry. Kent.’ is not otherwise certified. In Norfolk dial., smoultin' is used to denote the calming down of a stormy sea during the ebb-tide.
| c 950 Lindisf. Gosp. Matt. xvi. 2 [Ᵹe] cueðas, ‘smolt bið, read is..heofon’. c 1160 Hatton Gosp. Matt. xvi. 2 On æfen ᵹe cweðeð, ‘to-morᵹen hit beoð smolt weder’. 1513 Douglas æneid xiii. viii. 30 Makand the hevynnis fayr, cleyr, and scheyne, The weddir smowt, and firmament serene. a 1550 Peblis to Play vi. in Pinkerton Sc. Ballads (1783) II. 4 Mirrie Madinis, think not lang; The wedder is fair and smolt. |
† 2. Pleasant, agreeable, affable. Obs.
| 13.. Gaw. & Gr. Knt. 1763 With smoþe smylyng & smolt þay smeten in-to merþe. 1553 Respublica iii. iii. 80 (Brandl), Respub. This ys Honestee. People. A gaye smoult smirking howrecop tis, zo mot I þee! |
3. Bright, shining; smooth, polished.
| 1837 Wilson's Tales Borders III. 304/2 He saw their smolt spirits scour awa to heaven like fire flaughts! 1852– in dial. glossaries (Sussex, Hants.). |
▪ IV. smolt, v.1
(sməʊlt)
[f. smolt n.1]
intr. Of young salmon: To pass into the smolt stage.
| 1855 J. Wilson in Mem. (1859) viii. 315 The female parr ‘smolt’ soon after the completion of the first year. |
▪ V. † smolt, v.2 Obs. rare.
[Of obscure origin.]
intr. To make off, go, escape, etc.
| 13.. E.E. Allit. P. B. 461 He hade þe smelle of þe smach & smoltes þeder sone. Ibid. 732, I schal forgyue alle þe gylt..& let hem smolt al unsmyten smoþely atonez. |