n.
Pronunciation: ' sm ə - th ə r
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, alteration of smorther, from smoren to smother, from Old English smorian to suffocate; akin to Middle Dutch smoren to suffocate
Date: 13th century
1 a : thick stifling smoke or smudge b : a state of being stifled or suppressed
2 : a dense cloud (as of fog or dust)
3 : a confused multitude of things : WELTER
– smoth · ery \ ' sm ə - th ə -r ē , ' sm ə th -r ē \ adjective