smicker

English

Alternative forms

smikker (Scotland)

Etymology

From Middle English smiker, from Old English smicer, smicor (“beauteous, beautiful, elegant, fair, fine, neat, tasteful”), from Proto-Germanic *smikraz (“fine, elegant, delicate, tender”), from Proto-Indo-European *smēyg- (“small, delicate”), from Proto-Indo-European *smē-, *smey- (“to smear, stroke, wipe, rub”). Cognate with Middle High German smecker (“neat, elegant”), Ancient Greek σμικρός (smikrós), μικρός (mikrós, “small, short”), Lithuanian smeigti (“to lunge, thrust, jab”), Latin mīca (“crumb, morsel, bit”).

For the verb, compare Swedish smickra (“to flatter, coax, wheedle, butter up”), Danish smigre (“to flatter”).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈsmɪkə(ɹ)/
Rhymes: -ɪkə(ɹ)

Adjective

smicker (comparative more smicker, superlative most smicker)

(archaic) Elegant; fine; attractive, beautiful.
- 1606, John Ford, Fame's Memorial:
  No, his deep-reaching spirit could not brook
  The fond addiction to such vanity;
  Regardful of his honour he forsook
  The smicker use of court-humanity.
(archaic) Amorous; wanton.
(archaic) Handsome, spruce; smart, dapper.
- 1590, Thomas Lodge, “Corydon’s Song”, in Rosalynde:
  A smicker boy, a lither swain,
  Heigh ho, a smicker swain,
  That his love was wanton fain, […]

Verb

smicker (third-person singular simple present smickers, present participle smickering, simple past and past participle smickered)

(intransitive, archaic) To look amorously or wantonly.
- 1808, original 1668, John Dryden, Walter Scott, An Evening's Love:
  […] Maskall, must you be smickering after wenches, while I am in calamity?
(intransitive, chiefly Scotland) To look or smile seductively or amorously.
(intransitive, chiefly Scotland) To laugh or smile in a sniggering or leering way; smirk.
- 2014, Crystal Evans, Every Man Deserves A Good Jacket, page 116:
  I gave him a questioning look and he hurled a pillow at me. “Who you a look pon^[sic] so?” “Me baby father” He smickered.

Derived terms

Anagrams

Emricks, Remicks

Swedish

Etymology

Deverbal from smickra

Noun

smicker n

flattery (usually insincere to gain favor)
Synonym: smörande

Declension

Declension of smicker
	Singular		Plural
	Indefinite	Definite	Indefinite	Definite
Nominative	smicker	smickret	smicker	smickren
Genitive	smickers	smickrets	smickers	smickrens

Related terms

References