Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

schmear

/ʃmɪə(ɹ)/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.31 in modern English

Syllables
schmear
IPA
/ʃmɪə(ɹ)/
14
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
1
Syllables
7
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A spread that goes on a bagel.

noun

A batch of things that go together.

noun

An aggregate.

verb

To spread something, often a bagel spread.

verb

To bribe.

Slang; Transitive verb

Example Sentences

Etymology

Borrowed from Yiddish שמיר (shmir, “smear, spread”); compare German schmieren. Doublet of smear, smearcase. By surface analysis, schm- + smear. The sense “bribe” is from Yiddish שמירן (shmirn, “to smear, to bribe”), senses found also in German schmieren. The implication is that a bribe helps “lubricate” an interaction.

Usage

Inflected Forms

schmears (plural) shmear (alternative) schmeer (alternative) shmeer (alternative) schmears (present, singular) schmearing (participle, present) schmeared (participle, past) schmeared (past)

Synonyms

schmeer shmear

Rhymes With

here year we're near clear hear career fear wear appear dear beer

Questions

How do you pronounce schmear?
The recorded pronunciation is /ʃmɪə(ɹ)/.
What does schmear mean?
A spread that goes on a bagel.
Where does schmear come from?
Borrowed from Yiddish שמיר (shmir, “smear, spread”); compare German schmieren. Doublet of smear, smearcase. By surface analysis, schm- + smear. The sense “bribe” is from Yiddish שמירן (shmirn, “to smear, to bribe”), senses found also in German schmieren. The implication is that a bribe helps “lubricate” an interaction.

How to pronounce schmear

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “schmear”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ʃmɪə(ɹ)/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “schmear”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “schmear” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.