smudge1

 
Pronunciation: /smʌdʒ/

verb

[with object]
  • cause (something) to become messily smeared by rubbing it: she dabbed her eyes, careful not to smudge her make-up
  • [no object] become smeared when rubbed: mascaras that smudge or flake around the eyes
  • make blurred or indistinct: the photograph had been smudged by the photocopier and was by no means as clear as the original

noun

  • a blurred or smeared mark on the surface of something: a smudge of blood on the floor
  • an indistinct or blurred view or image: the low smudge of hills on the horizon

Derivatives

smudgeless

adjective

smudgily

adverb

smudginess

noun

smudgy

adjective (smudgier, smudgiest)

Origin:

late Middle English (as a verb in the sense 'soil, stain'): of unknown origin. The noun dates from the late 18th century