I. ˈsmelt noun
( plural smelts or smelt )
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English; akin to Norwegian smelte whiting
1.
a. : any of various small fishes of the family Osmeridae and especially of the genus Osmerus that closely resemble the trouts in general structure, are translucent greenish above, silvery on the sides, and silvery or white beneath, live along the coasts and ascend the rivers to spawn or are landlocked in lakes, and have delicate tender oily flesh with a distinctive odor and taste: as
(1) : a common and commercially important food fish ( O. mordax ) of eastern No. America from Virginia northward
(2) : sparling
(3) : whitebait 2c
b. : any of various other salmonoid fishes: as
(1) : any of several fishes of the family Argentinidae (as the capelin)
(2) Britain : smolt
(3) : a small freshwater fish ( Retropinna semoni ) of Australia and New Zealand that has a strong odor of cucumbers
2. : any of various small fishes of groups other than Salmonoidea resembling the smelt: as
a. : any of several silversides (as a jack smelt, a top smelt, or a grunion)
b. : tomcod 1b
c. : sand launce
d. : any of various freshwater cyprinid fishes
e. : sand borer
3. obsolete : an easy mark : simpleton
II.
past of smell
III. ˈsmelt transitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Dutch or Low German smelten (from Middle Dutch & Middle Low German, respectively); akin to Old High German smelzan to melt, Old Swedish smælta, Old English meltan — more at melt
1. : to melt or fuse (as ore) often with an accompanying chemical change usually to separate the metal
2. : flux , scorify , refine , reduce
IV. noun
( -s )
: a product of smelting or fusing : melt
V. noun
( -s )
Etymology: origin unknown
: a half guinea