smelt

1 of 3

noun

ˈsmelt 

plural smelts or smelt

: any of a family (Osmeridae) of small bony fishes that closely resemble the trouts in general structure, live along coasts and ascend rivers to spawn or are landlocked, and have delicate oily flesh with a distinctive odor and taste

smelt

2 of 3

verb

smelted; smelting; smelts

transitive verb

1

: to melt or fuse (a substance, such as ore) often with an accompanying chemical change usually to separate the metal

2

: refine, reduce

smelt

3 of 3

chiefly British past participle of smell entry 1

Examples of smelt in a Sentence

Verb

the process used for smelting iron ore

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Kipper and smelt can also be found but can be trickier to track down. —Christina Manian, Health, 9 July 2024

Meanwhile, the 2022 class of smelt is not only more plentiful but also growing larger, producing a banner season for smelt netters in May, when the fish made their spawning runs. —John Myers, Twin Cities, 11 June 2024

Verb

Not the least of these developments was the titular metal of the age, which started to appear in Bronze Age Greece around five millennia ago, made by smelting copper and mixing it with other metals like tin. —Joshua Rapp Learn, Discover Magazine, 1 July 2024

The contaminants in the soils built up over 80 years of smelting activities at the Anaconda Copper Mining Company. —Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA TODAY, 10 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old English; akin to Norwegian smelte whiting

Verb

Dutch or Low German smelten; akin to Old High German smelzan to melt, Old English meltan — more at melt

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1543, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

smelt

1 of 2 noun

ˈsmelt 

plural smelts or smelt

: any of several very small food fishes that look like the related trouts and live in fresh water or in coastal sea waters

smelt

2 of 2 verb

1

: to melt (as ore) usually in order to separate the metal

2

: refine sense 1, reduce