smooth: Meaning and Definition of

smooth

Pronunciation: (sm), [key]
— adj., adv., v., n. -er, -est,
—adj.
  1. free from projections or unevenness of surface; not rough: smooth wood; a smooth road.
  2. generally flat or unruffled, as a calm sea.
  3. free from hairs or a hairy growth: a smooth cheek.
  4. of uniform consistency; free from lumps, as a batter, sauce, etc.
  5. free from or proceeding without abrupt curves, bends, etc.: a smooth ride.
  6. allowing or having an even, uninterrupted movement or flow: smooth driving.
  7. easy and uniform, as motion or the working of a machine.
  8. having projections worn away: a smooth tire casing.
  9. free from hindrances or difficulties: a smooth day at the office.
  10. noting a metal file having the minimum commercial grade of coarseness for a single-cut file. Cf.
  11. undisturbed, tranquil, or equable, as the feelings, temper, etc.; serene: a smooth disposition.
  12. elegant, easy, or polished: smooth manners.
  13. ingratiatingly polite or suave: That salesman is a smooth talker.
  14. free from harshness, sharpness, or bite; bland or mellow, as cheese or wine.
  15. not harsh to the ear, as sound: the smooth music of a ballroom dance band.
  16. without aspiration.
—adv.
  1. in a smooth manner; smoothly.
—v.t.
  1. to make smooth of surface, as by scraping, planing, or pressing.
  2. to remove (projections, ridges, wrinkles, etc.) in making something smooth (often fol. by away or out).
  3. to free from difficulties.
  4. to remove (obstacles) from a path (often fol. by away).
  5. to make more polished, elegant, or agreeable, as wording or manners.
  6. to tranquilize, calm, or soothe (a person, the feelings, etc.).
  7. to simplify (an expression) by substituting approximate or certain known values for the variables.
  8. to make seem less severe, disagreeable, or irreconcilable; allay; mitigate: He smoothed over my disappointment with kind words.
—n.
  1. act of smoothing: She adjusted the folds with a smooth of her hand.
  2. something that is smooth; a smooth part or place: through the rough and the smooth.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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