besmear

From Middle English bismerwen, from Old English besmirwan, besmierwan (“to besmear”), equivalent to be- +‎ smear. Cognate with Dutch besmeren (“to besmear”), German beschmieren (“to besmear”).

• Rhymes: -ɪə(ɹ)

besmear (third-person singular simple present besmears, present participle besmearing, simple past and past participle besmeared)

1. (transitive) To smear over; smear all over; sully.
   • c. 1587–1588, [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], part 1, 2nd edition, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, OCLC 932920499; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire; London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act I, scene i:

     I long to ſee thee backe returne from thence,
     That I may view theſe milk-white ſteeds of mine.
     All loden with the heads of killed men,
     And from their knees, euen to their hoofes below,
     Beſmer’d with blood, that makes a dainty ſhow.

   • 1734, William Stukeley, Of the Gout, page 57:

     […] carters and coachmen, who make in imitation thereof a composition of grease and tar, with which they besmear the inside of the naves of wheels and the extremitys of the axis upon which they move.

   • 2012 January 26, Jim Vandehei, Mike Allen, “Drudge, conservative media criticize Newt Gingrich”, in Politico‎:

     His public record is already besmeared with tawdry divorces, […]

• Beamers, Bermeas, beamers