Smeath

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An archaic term for a smooth, even stretch of ground or surface with no bumps or irregularities
2. A rare old word describing a flat, level area of land or a plane that has been made smooth
3. Denoting a smooth and unbroken expanse, such as a plain or a polished surface, in older English usage

Etymology: "Smeath" survives mainly as an old and dialect noun, and its history is hard to pin down with certainty. Its shape and sense point toward the same Germanic root as "smooth," which is Old English "smōþ," meaning level, even, or free of roughness. A noun formed on that root would plausibly have named a smooth or level stretch of ground, though the exact sense and date of the noun are uncertain. The surest connection is therefore to "smooth," and to the Old English adjective behind it. Readers who know "smooth" will recognise the same idea of an even surface at the heart of this older noun.