noun
    
    plural smears
    
    [count] a dirty mark, spot, streak, etc., made by touching or rubbing something
    
    
    
    medical :a very small sample of something (such as skin or blood) that someone examines with a microscope
    
    
    
    an untrue story about a person that is meant to hurt that person's reputation
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    verb
    
    smears; smeared; smearing
    
    [+ obj] :to make (something) dirty by rubbing it with something else
    
    
    
    [+ obj] :to spread (something) over a surface
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    [no obj] :to spread or drip in an untidy way
    
    
    
    
    
    [+ obj] :to cause (something) to spread or drip in an untidy way
    
    
    
    [+ obj] :to make untrue statements about someone in order to hurt that person's reputation