noun Uncommon

smurf

Smurf (noun) means one of the small blue fictional characters from the Belgian comic and cartoon franchise The Smurfs. Example: “Her son's bedroom is covered in Smurf posters.”

noun

One of the small blue fictional characters from the Belgian comic and cartoon franchise The Smurfs.

"Her son's bedroom is covered in Smurf posters."

In gaming, a skilled player who creates a new low-level account to play against much weaker opponents.

"That "beginner" was clearly a smurf — no new player plays that well."

verb

In finance or crime, to break up a large transaction into many small ones to avoid detection.

"The accountant was smurfing deposits to stay under the reporting threshold."

How to use smurf

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishEither the blue cartoon character, or (in gaming/finance slang) someone hiding their true skill level or the size of a transaction.

Common pairings

smurf account smurfing transactions

Word forms

smurfed past tense, smurfs plural, smurves plural, smurfs singular

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Etymology

From the Belgian comic Les Schtroumpfs, created by Peyo; the English name Smurf comes via Dutch smurf, adapted from the French schtroumpf.

Origin: French

Rhymes for smurf

turf surf

See all rhymes for smurf →

Frequently asked questions

What does “smurf” mean?

The word “smurf” means one of the small blue fictional characters from the Belgian comic and cartoon franchise The Smurfs. In plain terms, either the blue cartoon character, or (in gaming/finance slang) someone hiding their true skill level or the size of a transaction.

How do you pronounce “smurf”?

“Smurf” is pronounced smurf (/smɜːf/ in IPA).

How do you use “smurf” in a sentence?

Here is “smurf” used in a sentence: “Her son's bedroom is covered in Smurf posters.”

What part of speech is “smurf”?

Depending on how it is used, “smurf” can be a noun and a verb.

Where does the word “smurf” come from?

The word “smurf” comes from French. From the Belgian comic Les Schtroumpfs, created by Peyo; the English name Smurf comes via Dutch smurf, adapted from the French schtroumpf.

Is “smurf” a common word?

“Smurf” is an uncommon word in modern English.

How many meanings does “smurf” have?

“Smurf” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: one of the small blue fictional characters from the Belgian comic and cartoon franchise The Smurfs.

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