Smeate

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To spread a sticky or greasy substance thickly over a surface, in an archaic usage now rarely seen in modern English
2. An old verb meaning to coat or smear a surface with something oily, tacky or messy
3. Archaically, to daub or cover something with a smeary layer of sticky material

Etymology: "Smeate" appears to be an obsolete or dialect spelling, most likely of "smeath," a word for fine dust or powder. If it is related to "smeath," its ancestry is probably Germanic and may connect to the Old English "smeoru," meaning fat or grease, which is also the ancestor of "smear." The connection is plausible but uncertain, so treat it as a lead rather than a settled etymology.