schmear

noun

variants or schmeer
plural schmears or schmeers
1
informal : a group of related things
One false move and the whole schmear [=the entire thing, everything] will come crashing to the floor.Jeffrey L. Seglin
2
informal : a layer of a spreadable food or condiment
He eats one virtually every day, 'round noon or 1 p.m., topped with the faintest schmear of peanut butter.Mary Bilyeu
especially : a layer of cream cheese
… the reverential tones that the Milanese reserve for a perfect risotto, or New Yorkers for a classic bagel with a schmear. Jack Knox
While visiting New York a few years ago, Dan Winters popped into a bodega and ordered a plain with a schmear. The clerk just stared at him, and Winters, who spent four years in the city starting in the late 1980s, realized the guy had no idea what he was saying. Times had changed, even for breakfast. "No one said, 'Let me get a bagel with cream cheese,'" Winters says. "It was 'plain with a schmear.'" Laura Mallonee

Examples of schmear in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Made with a thick slathering of salty, white cheese with a good schmear of guava jam, all encrusted in a buttery puff pastry-like dough, the guava and cheese combo hit sweet and salty in all the right places, though admittedly, the cheese was a little too thick for me. Kaitlyn Rosati, New York Daily News, 21 May 2025 Ready in a mere 15 minutes, the key ingredient that helps this sandwich sing is a schmear of Dijon mustard. Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 May 2025 The idea is to tear off a piece and dunk it in a tub of schmear, as demonstrated by our Axios Boston colleague who unexpectedly enjoyed the experience. Kate Murphy, Axios, 9 Apr. 2025 The restaurant features Middle Eastern dips, schmears and small plates, all meant for sharing around the table. Greta Cross, USA TODAY, 3 Dec. 2024 See All Example Sentences for schmear

Word History

Etymology

Yiddish shmir smear

First Known Use

1909, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of schmear was in 1909

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Schmear.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/schmear. Accessed 25 May. 2025.

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