smut
smut
Definition
smut (smut)
noun
- sooty matter
- a particle of this
- a mark made by something dirty; soiled spot
- pornographic or indecent talk, writing, etc.
- Bot.
- any of various plant diseases, esp. of cereal grasses, characterized by the appearance of masses of black spores which usually break up into a fine powder
- any of an order (Ustilaginales) of basidiomycetous fungi causing smut
Etymology: < or akin to LowG smutt, akin to Ger schmutz, dirt < IE *(s)meud- < base *meu-, wet, musty > mud, moss
transitive verb smut′·ted, smut′·ting
to mark or affect with smut
Etymology: later var. of ME smoten, besmirch
intransitive verb
to be marked or affected by smut
smut
Synonyms
smut
n.
smut
Usage Examples
Preposition: of
- wheat: Left and Center: Loose smut of wheat caused by Ustilago nuda.
Converse of object
- pump: Niall hmm, a ' penetration testing ' firm has worked out a way of pumping smut into every room.
- cover: Covered Smut - Redigo Deter controls covered smut caused by Ustilago hordei ( covered smut is rare in the UK ).
Adjective modifier
- loose: Left and Center: Loose smut of wheat caused by Ustilago nuda.
Modifies a noun
- fungus: Claire Sansford never seems to be able to escape from the smut fungi!
- disease: False smut disease is now affecting individual date palm trees in the north, central and south areas of Qatar.
- campaigner: According to Mediawatch-UK's news snippets, smut campaigners Mediamarch handed at 121,000 signature petition to 10 Downing street yesterday.
Noun used with modifier
- wheat: An economic weapon, wheat smut, designed to attack crops, was also being experimented with.
