smears

Noun

smear (countable and uncountable, plural smears)

1. A mark made by smearing.
   • This detergent cleans windows without leaving smears.

   Synonyms:

   streak

   1. A presentation of a sauce, purée or other food item, which is placed in a dollop and spread across the plate.
2. A false or unsupported, malicious statement intended to injure a person's reputation.
   • smear campaign

   Synonyms:

   calumny, slander, slur, mudslinging

3. A preparation to be examined under a microscope, made by spreading a thin layer of a substance (such as blood, bacterial culture) on a slide.

   Synonyms:

   squash

4. A Pap smear (screening test for cervical cancer).
   • I'm going to the doctor's this afternoon for a smear.

   Synonyms:

   cervical smear, Pap test

5. (uncountable) Any of various forms of distortion that make a signal harder to see or hear.
   • In television terms, a certain amount of smear, ringing, and anticipatory overshoot are indigenous to VSB transmission.1954, Radio & Television News: Radio-electronic engineering section

See all 20 meanings of smear