smelt
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.”
How to use smelt
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither a small fish, or the process of extracting metal from ore using heat.
Don't confuse with "smell" — smelt is about processing metal (or a fish), not odors.
Word forms
smelted past tense, smelt plural, smelts plural, smelts plural, smelts singular
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.