Smothen

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To make a surface or texture even and free of roughness, bumps, or unevenness
2. To level out the rough or uneven parts of something so that it feels flat and even to the touch
3. Making something even and free from irregularities, lumps, or coarse patches on its surface

Etymology: Germans still use "schmoren" for braising meat slowly in a covered pot, and the Dutch "smoren" means the same. English "smother" belongs to this family, and its Old English ancestor "smorian" meant to suffocate. The thread connecting the kitchen and the choking is the idea of smoke and heat held in, which is how a pot stews and how a fire smoulders. "Smothen" is a less common variant of "smother," formed by adding the suffix "-en," which English uses to make verbs from adjectives and nouns, as in "sharpen" or "lengthen." Its meaning is the same as its parent word: to suffocate, or to cover so as to deprive of air.

Synonyms: smoothen, smooth, level, flatten

Antonyms: roughen, ruffle