smirch

Etymology

Comes from Middle English *smorchen (“to spatter, soil”; attested in besmorchid (“bespattered, soiled all over”)), whose origin is uncertain. It may be a derivative of Middle English smeoren, smuren, smeren (“to smear”), or related to Middle English smotry (“sooty, grimy”). Compare also Middle English bismotered (“bespattered, soiled”), Old French esmorcher (“to torture”), Middle English smoterly, smoterlich (“besmirched”), and modern English smut.