smut Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a black colloidal substance consisting wholly or principally of amorphous carbon and used to make pigments and ink
    soot; crock; lampblack; carbon black.
  2. noun destructive diseases of plants (especially cereal grasses) caused by fungi that produce black powdery masses of spores
  3. noun any fungus of the order Ustilaginales
    smut fungus.
  4. noun an offensive or indecent word or phrase
    obscenity; filth; dirty word; vulgarism.
  5. noun creative activity (writing or pictures or films etc.) of no literary or artistic value other than to stimulate sexual desire
    pornography; erotica; porno; porn.
  6. verb make obscene
    • This line in the play smuts the entire act
  7. verb stain with a dirty substance, such as soot
  8. verb become affected with smut
    • the corn smutted and could not be eaten
  9. verb affect with smut or mildew, as of a crop such as corn

WordNet

Smut noun
Etymology
Akin to Sw. smuts, Dan. smuds, MHG. smuz, G. schmutz, D. smet a spot or stain, smoddig, smodsig, smodderig, dirty, smodderen to smut; and probably to E. smite. See Smite, v. t., and cf. Smitt, Smutch.
Definitions
  1. Foul matter, like soot or coal dust; also, a spot or soil made by such matter.
  2. (Mining) Bad, soft coal, containing much earthy matter, found in the immediate locality of faults.
  3. (Bot.) An affection of cereal grains producing a swelling which is at length resolved into a powdery sooty mass. It is caused by parasitic fungi of the genus Ustilago. Ustilago segetum, or U. Carbo, is the commonest kind; that of Indian corn is Ustilago maydis.
  4. Obscene language; ribaldry; obscenity.
    He does not stand upon decency . . . but will talk smut, though a priest and his mother be in the room. Addison.
Smut transitive verb
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Smutted; present participle & verbal noun Smutting
Definitions
  1. To stain or mark with smut; to blacken with coal, soot, or other dirty substance.
  2. To taint with mildew, as grain. Bacon.
  3. To blacken; to sully or taint; to tarnish.
  4. To clear of smut; as, to smut grain for the mill.
Smut intransitive verb
Definitions
  1. To gather smut; to be converted into smut; to become smutted. Mortimer.
  2. To give off smut; to crock.

Webster 1913