Obs. Forms: 1 smicer, 3 Orm. smikerr, 6–7 smicker. [OE. smicer: cf. OHG. smehhar, smechar (MHG. smecker) elegant, delicate.]
1. Beautiful, elegant, fair, handsome. In later use only of persons.
c. 725. Corpus Gloss. (Hessels), E 141. Elegans, smicre.
a. 1000. in Cockayne, The Shrine (1864), 163. Þat he maʓe windan maniʓne smicerne wæn & maniʓ ænlic hus settan.
a. 1000. in Thorpe, Dipl. Angl. Sax. (1865), 536. Hio … bit þæt hi findon betweox him twa smicere scencingcuppan into beodern for hi.
c. 1200. Ormin, 13679. Þurrh whatt he fell … Inntill niþ hellepine, & warrþ till atell defell þær Off shene & smikerr enngell.
1590. Tarlton, News Purg. (1844), 114. The Smith seeing what a smicker wench the Coblers wife was,… sorrowed at the good fortune of the Cobler, that he had so faire a wife.
1590. Lodge, Euphues (1592), P iv b. A smicker boy, a lyther Swaine, heigh ho a smicker Swaine: That in his Loue was wanton faine, with smiling looks straight came vnto her.
absol. 1639. J. Smyth, in Glouc. Gloss. (1890), 201. Smoke will to the smicker: meaninge, If many gossips sit against a smokey chimney the smoke will bend to the fairest.
2. Of looks: Smirking, gay.
1589. Peele, Eclogue Gratulatory, 4. Why bin thy looks so smicker and so proud?
3. Loose or lax; wanton.
1606. Ford, Fame’s Memorial, B iv b.
| Reguardfull of his honor he forsooke, | |
| The smicker vse of court-humanity. |
