noun
smelt
smehlt
Smelt (noun) means a small silvery fish found in cold ocean waters and lakes. Example: “Fishermen pulled a bucket of smelt from the icy lake.”
noun
1
A small silvery fish found in cold ocean waters and lakes.
"Fishermen pulled a bucket of smelt from the icy lake."
verb
1
To extract metal from ore by heating and chemically processing it.
"The factory smelts iron ore into usable steel."
"Ancient civilizations learned to smelt copper thousands of years ago."
How to use smelt
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither a small fish, or the process of extracting metal from ore using heat.
Common mistake
Don't confuse with "smell" — smelt is about processing metal (or a fish), not odors.
Easily confused with
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Word forms
- Plural
- smelts
- Third person singular
- smelts
- Past tense
- smelted
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
Fishermen pulled a bucket of _____ from the icy lake.
Etymology
From Old English/Germanic smelt, related to melting and metalworking.
Rhymes for smelt
See all rhymes for smelt →Frequently asked questions
What does “smelt” mean?
The word “smelt” means a small silvery fish found in cold ocean waters and lakes. In plain terms, either a small fish, or the process of extracting metal from ore using heat.
How do you pronounce “smelt”?
“Smelt” is pronounced smehlt (/smɛlt/ in IPA).
How do you use “smelt” in a sentence?
Here is “smelt” used in a sentence: “Fishermen pulled a bucket of smelt from the icy lake.”
What part of speech is “smelt”?
Depending on how it is used, “smelt” can be a noun and a verb.
Where does the word “smelt” come from?
The word “smelt” comes from Old English. From Old English/Germanic smelt, related to melting and metalworking.
How many meanings does “smelt” have?
“Smelt” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a small silvery fish found in cold ocean waters and lakes.
