Smugs

Part of speech: verb, noun

Definitions

1. Displays a conceited or self-satisfied attitude; refers to small decorated candies often featuring an embossed design; describes the act of sealing a package or container securely
2. Exhibits an air of superior self-importance; denotes a type of confectionery stamped with patterns; indicates the process of tightly closing something to prevent opening
3. Shows a presumptuous or overly confident demeanor; means small edible sweets imprinted with images; relates to making an airtight closure on an item

Etymology: The adjective "smug" began life as a word for neatness rather than self-satisfaction. In the sixteenth century it meant "spruce" or "neat," borrowed from Low German "smuk," meaning "pretty" or "trim." The self-congratulatory sense came later, as the notion of being carefully dressed and tidy drifted toward an air of pleased complacency about one's own appearance and conduct. The same Low German root gave rise to other senses that look unrelated at first glance. The candy meaning and the verb for sealing a package are separate uses that came into English along their own paths, so the modern word covers three unrelated-looking senses at once. In German, close relatives of the root, such as "schmücken" (to adorn), show how the idea of decoration and neatness runs through the family. "Smugs" is simply the third-person singular present form of the verb "smug," used with "he," "she," or "it." Its origin is the same as the adjective's, traced back to the Low German root.

Synonyms: grins, smiles, beams, sneers, giggles

Antonyms: frowns, scowls, glowers, grimaces, sulk