smeddum
English
Alternative forms
Etymology
From earlier smitham, smytham, from Middle English smedma, from Old English smedma, smeodema, smedema (“fine flour, pollen meal, meal”).
Noun
smeddum (uncountable)
- Fine powder; flour.
- The powder or finest part of ground malt.
- (mining) Smitham.
- (Scotland) Zest, energy; pluck; sagacity; quickness of apprehension; gumption; spirit; mettle.
- 1933, Lewis Grassic Gibbon, Cloud Howe, Polygon 2006 (A Scots Quair), p. 271:
- maybe there were better folk far in Segget, but few enough with smeddum like his.
- 1933, Lewis Grassic Gibbon, Cloud Howe, Polygon 2006 (A Scots Quair), p. 271:
- (UK dialectal, Northern England) Ore small enough to pass through the wire bottom of a sieve.
- (UK dialectal, Northern England) A layer of clay or shale between two beds of coal.
Scots
Etymology
From Old English smeodoma.
Pronunciation
Noun
smeddum (uncountable)
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