Etymology

SMERSH

S1M3E1R1S1H4

Today it means: Counter-intelligence organisation attached to Russian army units during World War II. Full definition →

Russian СМЕРШ
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The story

  1. Russian · borrowed fromСМЕРШ
  2. English todaySMERSH

Borrowed from Russian СМЕРШ (SMJeRŠ), an acronym of «Смерть шпионам!» («Smertʹ špionam!», “Death to spies!”).

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.