Wiktionary

smile

English

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A smile

Etymology

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From Middle English smilen (“to smile”), from Middle Low German *smîlen (“to smile”), from Middle High German smielen, from Old High German smielēn, from Proto-West Germanic *smīlēn, from Proto-Germanic *smīlāną (“to smile”), from Proto-Indo-European *smey- (“to laugh, be glad, wonder”).

Cognate with Danish smile, Swedish smila, Faroese smíla (“to smile”); also Saterland Frisian smielje (“to smile”), Low German smielen (“to smile”), Dutch smuilen (“to smile”), Middle High German smielen (“to smile”). Related also to Old High German smierōn (“to smile”), Old English smerian (“to laugh at”), Old English smercian, smearcian ("to smile"; > English smirk), Latin mīror (“to wonder at”).

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /ˈsmaɪl/, /ˈsmaɪ.əl/
  • Audio (US):(file)
  • Rhymes: -aɪl

Noun

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smile (plural smiles)

  2. A facial expression comprised by flexing the muscles of both ends of one's mouth, often showing the front teeth, without vocalisation, and in humans is a common involuntary or voluntary expression of happiness, pleasure, amusement, goodwill, or anxiety.
    Synonyms: see Thesaurus:smile
    She's got a perfect smile.
    He has a sinister smile.
    She had a smile on her face.
    He always puts a smile on my face.
    • 1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter V, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC:
      Then came a maid with hand-bag and shawls, and after her a tall young lady. […] She looked around expectantly, and recognizing Mrs. Cooke's maid […] Miss Thorn greeted her with a smile which greatly prepossessed us in her favor.
    • 1910, Emerson Hough, chapter I, in The Purchase Price: Or The Cause of Compromise, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:
      Captain Edward Carlisle, soldier as he was, martinet as he was, felt a curious sensation of helplessness seize upon him as he met her steady gaze, her alluring smile; he could not tell what this prisoner might do.
  3. (figurative) Favour; propitious regard.
    the smile of the gods
  4. (slang, dated) A drink bought by one person for another.
    Synonym: treat

Derived terms

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Translations

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Verb

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smile (third-person singular simple present smiles, present participle smiling, simple past and past participle smiled)

  1. (transitive, intransitive) To have (a smile) on one's face.
    When you smile, the whole world smiles with you.
    I don't know what he's smiling about.
    She smiles a beautiful smile.
    • 1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter VII, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:
      “ […] This is Mr. Churchill, who, as you are aware, is good enough to come to us for his diaconate, and, as we hope, for much longer; and being a gentleman of independent means, he declines to take any payment.” Saying this Walden rubbed his hands together and smiled contentedly.
    • 1969, Mike d'Abo (lyrics and music), “Handbags & Gladrags”, performed by Rod Stewart:
      Once I was a young man / And all I thought I had to do was smile
    • 1997, George Carlin, Brain Droppings‎[1], New York: Hyperion Books, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, →OL, page 70:
      If a man smiles all the time he's probably selling something that doesn't work.
    • 2019 December 18, Paul Stephen, “This is the best job I've ever had”, in Rail, page 52:
      She adds: "We have two mottos at Kingston which we've stuck to the window in the ticket office. One says 'If you can be anything in the world then be kind', while the other reads: 'Smile while you've still got teeth'.
  2. (transitive) To express by smiling.
    to smile consent, or a welcome
    • 1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter II, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC:
      I had occasion […] to make a somewhat long business trip to Chicago, and on my return […] I found Farrar awaiting me in the railway station. He smiled his wonted fraction by way of greeting, […], and finally leading me to his buggy, turned and drove out of town. I was completely mystified at such an unusual proceeding.
  3. (intransitive) To express amusement, pleasure, or love and kindness.
  4. (intransitive) To look cheerful and joyous; to have an appearance suited to excite joy.
    The sun smiled down from a clear summer sky.
  5. (intransitive) To be propitious or favourable; to countenance.
    The gods smiled on his labours.
  6. (intransitive) Of ackee fruit: to open fully, indicating that it is no longer toxic, and ready to be picked.
    • 2003, Jessica B. Harris, Beyond Gumbo: Creole Fusion Food from the Atlantic Rim, page 20:
      The fruit looks a bit like a large pink mango or guava, until it has ripened. Then it “smiles,” bursting open, exposing yellow meat with black seeds.

Derived terms

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Translations

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Anagrams

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Danish

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Etymology

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From Old Norse *smíla (“to smile”), from Proto-Germanic *smīlijaną, *smirōną (“to smile”), from Proto-Indo-European *smey- (“to laugh, be glad, wonder”).

Pronunciation

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Verb

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smile (imperative smil, infinitive at smile, present tense smiler, past tense smilede, perfect tense har smilet)

  1. to smile
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Norwegian Bokmål

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Etymology

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From Old Norse *smíla (“to smile”).

Verb

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smile (imperative smil, present tense smiler, simple past smilte, past participle smilt, present participle smilende)

  1. to smile
    smile fra øre til øre ― grin from ear to ear
    Smil til kameraet. ― Smile for the camera.
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References

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