smooth

comparative smoother · superlative smoothest · alternative dialectal smeeth · alternative archaic verb smoothe

1. Having a texture that lacks friction. Not rough.

   Smooth and slender and naked, Mary Rittersdorf faced her husband.

   1964, Philip K. Dick, “THIRTEEN”, in Clans of the Alphane Moon, United States: Ace Books, →OCLC; republished London: HarperCollinsPublishers, 1996, →ISBN, page 193

   3 more examples

   The outlines must be smooth, […]imperceptible to the touch, and even, without eminence or cavities.

   1695, C[harles] A[lphonse] du Fresnoy, translated by John Dryden, De Arte Graphica. The Art of Painting, […], London: […] J[ohn] Heptinstall for W. Rogers, […], →OCLC

   “A tight little craft,” was Austin’s invariable comment on the matron; and she looked it, always trim and trig and smooth of surface like a converted yacht cleared for action. ¶ Near her wandered her husband, orientally bland, invariably affable,[…].

   1907 August, Robert W[illiam] Chambers, chapter IX, in The Younger Set, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLC

   Teaching that’s done by talking seems to have one rough path and another part which is smoother.

   2005, Lesley Brown, Sophist, translation of original by Plato, page 229e

2. Without difficulty, problems, or unexpected consequences or incidents.

   We hope for a smooth transition to the new system.

   2 more examples

   England's path to Poland and Ukraine next summer looked to be a smooth one as goals from Ashley Young and Darren Bent gave them a comfortable lead after 31 minutes.

   2011, Phil McNulty, “Euro 2012: Montenegro 2-2 England”, in BBC

   The path to approval has been bumpiest in Washington, where Democrats in Congress have raised concerns over Mexico’s enforcement of labor rights and environmental law — and smoothest in Mexico, where the president has described the accord as a guarantee of stability for his country’s economy.

   2019 June 19, Elisabeth Malkin and Ana Swanson, “Mexico Ratifies Trade Deal With the U.S. and Canada”, in The New York Times

   Synonyms: fluid, slick

3. Bland; glib.

   This smooth discourse and mild behavior oft / Conceal a traitor.

   1712 (date written), [Joseph] Addison, Cato, a Tragedy. […], London: […] J[acob] Tonson, […], published 1713, →OCLC, (please specify the page)

   1 more example

   This feeling, grounded on the experience of centuries of oppression, was not to be allayed by smooth explanations on the part of the advocates of the Constitution.

   1912, Gustavus Myers, History of the Supreme Court of the United States, page 133

4. Flowing or uttered without check, obstruction, or hesitation; not harsh; fluent.

   the only smooth poet of those times

   1670, John Milton, The History of Britain

   2 more examples

   VValler vvas ſmooth; but Dryden taught to join / The varying verſe, the full reſounding line, / The long majetſic march, and energy divine.

   1737, [Alexander Pope], The First Epistle of the Second Book of Horace, Imitated, London: […] T. Cooper, […], →OCLC, page 16

   VVhen bright Minerva roſe, / From her ſvveet Lips ſmooth Elocution flovvs, […]

   1713 (indicated as 1714), [John] Gay, “Book III”, in The Fan. A Poem. […], London: […] J[acob] Tonson, […], →OCLC, page 23

   Synonyms: seamless

5. Suave; sophisticated.

   He was so smooth and handsome. He knew just what to say and when to say it.

   2003, T. Lewis Humphrey, The Price of Love, →ISBN, page 279

6. Natural; unconstrained.

   In order for a reading to be smooth and effortless, readers must be able to recognize and read words accurately, automatically, and quickly.

   2006, Mary Kay Moskal, Camille Blachowicz, Reading for Fluency, →ISBN, page 3

7. Unbroken.

   Demonstrate first by the numbers and then as one smooth movement.

   1927, United States National Guard Bureau, Manual of Basic Training and Standards of Proficiency for the National Guard, page 181

8. Placid, calm.

   As we worked to the southward, we picked up fair weather, and enjoyed smooth seas and pleasant skies.

   1898, John Donaldson Ford, An American Cruiser in the East, page 47

9. Lacking projections or indentations; not serrated.

   A leaf having a smooth margin, without teeth or indentations of any kind, is called entire.

   1994, Robert E. Swanson, A Field Guide to the Trees and Shrubs of the Southern Appalachians, →ISBN, page 8

   1 more example

   Out of the handles flipped the smooth blade and the serrated blade, which was dangerously sharp, the flathead screwdrivers, the Phillips screwdriver, the can opener, the awl.

   1997, Christopher Dickey, Innocent Blood: A Novel, →ISBN, page 91

10. Not grainy; having an even texture.

    A compact and stylish design, it produces 1 generous quart of excellent, smooth ice cream in 20 to 25 minutes.

    1997, Lou Seibert Pappas, Sorbets and Ice Creams, →ISBN, page 19

11. Having a pleasantly rounded flavor; neither rough nor astringent.

    The coffee was smooth, so smooth she took another sip.

    2002, Candace Irvin, For His Eyes Only, →ISBN, page 9

12. mathematicsHaving derivatives of all finite orders at all points within the function’s domain.

    Any ANALYTIC FUNCTION is smooth. But a smooth function is not necessarily analytic.

    2003, Eric W. Weisstein, CRC Concise Encyclopedia of Mathematics, →ISBN, page 419

13. mathematicsThat factors completely into small prime numbers.
14. classical studiesLacking marked aspiration.

    Οὐ becomes οὐκ before a smooth vowel, and οὐχ before an aspirate.

    1830, Benjamin Franklin Fisk, A Grammar of the Greek Language, page 5

    Synonyms: even

15. medicineInvoluntary and non-striated.

comparative smoother · superlative smoothest · alternative dialectal smeeth · alternative archaic verb smoothe

1. Smoothly.

   The paths true love never ran smooth(ly).

   2 more examples

   smooth-running, smooth-tongued, smooth-spoken

   Smooth runs the water where the brook is deep.

   1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies. […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii]

plural smooths · alternative dialectal smeeth · alternative archaic verb smoothe

1. Something that is smooth, or that goes smoothly and easily.

   The smooth of his neck.

   1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Genesis 27:16

   2 more examples

   I think you and I will take the ups and the downs , the roughs and the smooths of this daily existence and conversation

   1861 January – 1862 August, W[illiam] M[akepeace] Thackeray, The Adventures of Philip on His Way through the World; […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), London: Smith, Elder and Co., […], published 1862, →OCLC

   Things are often equalized by roughs and smooths being set against one another.

   1860, Anne Manning, The Day of Small Things, page 81

2. A smoothing action.

   She brushes down her hair with a little bit of spit and a smooth of her hand and opens the bright green door, walking a few metres, squinting.

   2006, Julienne Van Loon, Road Story, →ISBN, page 12

3. A domestic animal having a smooth coat.

   In the 4-toe stock there is a wide gap between the lowest rough and the smooths which come from the same parents.

   1916, William Ernest Castle, Sewall Wright, Studies of Inheritance in Guinea-pigs and Rats, page 104

4. A member of an anti-hippie fashion movement in 1970s Britain.

   By the early 1970s, skinhead culture began to mutate into the variant ‘white ethnic’ styles of the suedeheads and smooths.

   1999, Peter Childs, Mike Storry, Encyclopedia of Contemporary British Culture, →ISBN, page 188

5. mathematicsThe analysis obtained through a smoothing procedure.

   A smooth of the potato data set has already been given in Figure 1.2.

   1990, Wolfgang Härdle, Applied Nonparametric Regression, →ISBN, page 17

present singular third person smooths · participle present smoothing · participle past smoothed · past smoothed · alternative dialectal smeeth · alternative archaic verb smoothe

1. transitiveTo make smooth or even.

   She smooths her skirt, looking as composed and ladylike as possible.

   1961, William Gibson, The Miracle Worker, →ISBN, page 37

   Synonyms: smoothen

2. transitiveTo reduce to a particular shape or form by pressure; to press, to flatten.

   to smooth cloth with a smoothing iron

3. transitiveTo make straightforward or easy.

   Caracas can be a tough place but the tremendously good-natured caraqueños smoothed my passage every step of the way.

   2007, Beth Kohn, Lonely Planet Venezuela, page 379

4. transitiveTo calm or palliate.

   to smooth a person's temper

5. image processing; digital audio; image processing; digital audiomathematicsTo capture important patterns in the data, while leaving out noise.

   […] the 7-month moving averages provide better smoothing of the data in this case than do the 3-month moving averages.

   1999, Murray R. Spiegel, Larry J. Stephens, Schaum’s Outline of Theory and Problems of Statistics, →ISBN, page 457

6. West CountryTo stroke; especially to stroke an animal's fur.

   Can I smooth your cat?