smut

1 of 2

verb

smutted; smutting

transitive verb

1
: to stain or taint with smut
2
: to affect (a crop or plant) with smut

intransitive verb

: to become affected by smut

smut

2 of 2

noun

1
: matter that soils or blackens
specifically : a particle of soot
2
: any of various destructive diseases especially of cereal grasses caused by parasitic basidiomycetous fungi (order Ustilaginales) and marked by transformation of plant parts into dark masses of spores
also : a fungus causing a smut
3
: obscene language or matter

Examples of smut in a Sentence

Noun Smut is not allowed in this house. obscenity laws that aimed to stamp out smut
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.
Noun
By 2010, the magazine was essentially family entertainment compared to the tidal wave of online smut, so a peek-a-boo pictorial of half-naked cybergals didn't seem so risqué. Jordan Hoffman, EW.com, 9 July 2025 And at Maya, most diners found a $55 check average as unpalatable as corn smut. Mackensy Lunsford, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025 The third act of the infamously schlocky Paul Verhoeven flick Showgirls takes a hard-left turn from being cheese-tastic smut to a harrowing nightmare. Aisha Harris, NPR, 21 June 2025 This is bermudagrass smut, a disease that attacks specifically the seed heads in bermuda turf. Neil Sperry, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for smut

Word History

Etymology

Verb

probably alteration of earlier smot to stain, from Middle English smotten; akin to Middle High German smutzen to stain

First Known Use

Verb

1587, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

1664, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of smut was in 1587

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Smut.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/smut. Accessed 14 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

smut

1 of 2 verb
smutted; smutting
1
: to stain, soil, or affect (a crop or plant) with smut
2
: to become affected by smut

smut

2 of 2 noun
1
: matter that soils or blackens
especially : a particle of soot
2
: any of various destructive diseases of plants caused by fungi that transform plant organs (as seeds) into dark masses of spores
also : a fungus that causes a smut
3
: indecent language, pictures, or writing

Medical Definition

smut

noun
: any of various destructive diseases especially of cereal grasses caused by parasitic fungi (order Ustilaginales)
also : a fungus causing a smut

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