Smethe

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. An archaic term describing a surface or texture that is smooth, level and free of roughness or unevenness
2. An old-fashioned word meaning even, smooth and without irregularities on the surface of something
3. A dated adjective for something flat, even and unbroken, lacking any bumps or ridges across its face

Etymology: In Middle English, "smethe" was a spelling of "smooth," used to describe a surface free of roughness or bumps. It descends from the Old English adjective "smōþe," which means the same thing. Its roots run back to a Proto-Germanic form, "*smōþaz," shared with other Germanic languages, so the word belongs to a family of northern European words for smoothness. Over the centuries the spelling settled into the modern "smooth," and "smethe" dropped out of use.