Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • See smore.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • transitive verb Obs. or Prov. Eng. & Scot. To suffocate or smother.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb transitive, obsolete, dialect, UK, Scotland To suffocate or smother.

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Anglo-Saxon smorian, akin to Dutch and Low German smoren, German schmoren ("to stew"). Compare smother.

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Examples

  • This caused a spirited discussion of the best way in which to smoor a fire for the night, including an argument over the proper blessing to be said while doing so, and this lasted long enough for me to have coaxed the brazier into a decent glow and set a small kettle in it for tea-making.

    A Breath of Snow and Ashes Gabaldon, Diana 2005

  • "I did smoor it, " he said briefly, swinging down from the saddle.

    Drums of Autumn Gabaldon, Diana 1997

  • I could stack those inside the hearth to dry, while I finished the supper making; then when we went to bed, I'd smoor the fire with the damp hickory, which would burn more slowly, smoldering till morning.

    Drums of Autumn Gabaldon, Diana 1997

  • 'Malachi, if thaa doesn't hold thi tung I'll smoor (smother) thee wi' this stockin '.

    Lancashire Idylls (1898) Marshall Mather

  • Th 'organ wur reet ony end up; an' they couldn't smoor th 'sound.

    Th' Barrel Organ Edwin Waugh 1853

  • They wad hae seen my father's roof-tree fa 'down and smoor me before they wad hae gien a boddle a-piece to have propped it up -- but they could a' link out their fifty pounds ower head to bigg a hottle at the Well yonder.

    St. Ronan's Well Walter Scott 1801

  • They wad hae seen my father’s roof-tree fa’ down and smoor me before they wad hae gien a boddle a-piece to have propped it up — but they could a’ link out their fifty pounds ower head to bigg a hottle at the Well yonder.

    Saint Ronan's Well 2008

  • "Come on, let's hurry, before they smoor the fire.

    A Breath of Snow and Ashes Gabaldon, Diana 2005

  • "My clever wee dog was for dashing off, the same as when he's smelt a rabbit, so we caught up our plaids and came away after him, only stopping to snatch a brand from the hearth and smoor the fire.

    Drums of Autumn Gabaldon, Diana 1997

  • Na, na, when Jock sees the blue smoor o 'Auld Reeky gaun up into the lift he'll turn an' gae hame. "

    The Lilac Sunbonnet 1887

Comments

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  • A stew, typically made from fish. (Malaysia). Derived from Dutch, Smoor, which means food that has been smothered with something, such as tomatoes or onions.

    verb (transitive) (Scottish) to smother, suffocate or extinguish.

    August 15, 2015

  • It could also be related to German "verschmoren" = to slowly burn, scorch, char.

    April 28, 2021

  • This makes me hungry for s’mores.

    May 2, 2021