besmear

present singular third person besmears · participle present besmearing · participle past besmeared · past besmeared

1. transitiveTo smear over, to smear all over, to daub.

   The coats of black paint with which young and old in all those tribes constantly besmear themselves.

   1918, James George Frazer, Folk-Lore In The Old Testament, volume 1, page 31

   2 more examples

   I long to ſee thee backe returne from thence, That I may view theſe milk-white ſteeds of mine. All loden with the heads of killed men, And from their knees, euen to their hoofes below, Beſmer’d with blood, that makes a dainty ſhow.

   c. 1587–1588 (date written), [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire; London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act I, scene i

   […] carters and coachmen, who make in imitation thereof a composition of grease and tar, with which they besmear the inside of the naves of wheels and the extremitys of the axis upon which they move.

   1734, William Stukeley, Of the Gout, page 57

   Synonyms: bedaub, bedirty, soil, assoil, beclart, bedaub, bedirty, imbrue (especially with blood)

2. transitiveTo damage the reputation of, to tarnish, to sully.

   His public record is already besmeared with tawdry divorces, […]

   2012 January 26, Mike Allen Jim Vandehei, “Drudge, conservative media criticize Newt Gingrich”, in Politico

   1 more example

   Novv, Sir, vvhen my Time comes, leſt they ſhou'd think it vvorth vvhile to handle my Memory vvith the ſame Freedom, I am vvilling to prevent its being ſo odly beſmear'd (or at beſt but flatly vvhite-vvash'd) by taking upon me to give the Publick This, as true a Picture of myſelf as natural Vanity vvill permit me to dravv; […]

   1740, Colley Cibber, chapter I, in An Apology for the Life of Mr. Colley Cibber, […], London: […] John Watts for the author, →OCLC, page 3

   Synonyms: besmirch, bewray, slander, assassinate, asperse, backbite, badmouth, befoul