Sc. and north. dial. Forms: 6, 9 smure, 6 smuyr, smuir(e; 6–7 smoore, 6–9 smoor, etc. [perh. ad. MDu. or MLG. smören (Du. smoren, LG. smoren, smören; G. schmoren, G. dial. schmoeren, schmuren), = OE. smorian SMORE v. The vowel is not a normal native variant of the o of smorian.] To smother, in various senses.
1. intr. To undergo smothering (lit. or fig.).
c. 1470. Golagros & Gaw., 1204. It war syn, but recure, The knightis honour suld smure, That did me this honoure.
1550. Lyndesay, Sqr. Meldrum, 45. That his hie honour suld not smure, Considering quhat he did indure.
1791. Burns, Tam o’ Shanter, 90. By this time he was cross the ford, Whare, in the snaw, the chapman smoor’d.
2. trans. a. fig. or transf. To conceal or hide; to suppress; to deaden, stupefy, etc.
1513. Douglas, Æneid, XI. Prol. 48. He … nevyr dar vndertak a douchty deyd, Bot doith all curage and all manheid smuyr.
1567. Satir. Poems Reform., iv. 188. Hurt not ȝour honouris, the samin to smuire.
1636. Montgomerie’s Cherrie & Slae (Wreittoun), 261. But ay the more I shoope to smoor’de The bolder it brake out.
1718. Ramsay, Christ’s Kirk Gr., III. xxiii. They drank, ’Till a’ their sense was smoor’d.
1792. Burns, Duncan Gray cam’ here to woo, v. Swelling pity smoored his wrath.
1833. M. Scott, Tom Cringle, xii. Ye maun smoor my first born puir conscience atween ye.
b. To smother, stifle, suffocate; esp. to deprive of life by suffocation.
1535. Coverdale, 1 Kings iii. 19. This womans sonne died in the nighte (for she smoored him in the slepe).
1612. Webster, White Devil, V. iv. L. Ile smoore some of them.
1656. in W. Ross, Pastoral Wk. in Covenanting Times (1887), 73. James Tailzor laitlie haid all his horses smoored.
1725. Ramsay, Gentle Sheph., I. i. Nine braw nowt were smoor’d.
1787. Burns, Brigs of Ayr, 33. The bees … Are doom’d by Man,… The death o’ devils, smoor’d wi’ brimstone reek.
a. 1800–. in many northern dial. glossaries.
1832. R. Surtees, in G. Taylor, Mem. (Surtees), 282. Nic. Ward was smoor’d in his father’s own draw well.
1881. Blackw. Mag., April, 530. Some hard winter, when the sheep had been ‘smoored’ by scores in the drifts.
c. To put out or extinguish (a light or fire). Also in fig. context.
1721. Ramsay, Lucky Spence, xv. The quacks wha that fire smoors, And puts nae out.
1808. Jamieson, s.v. Smore, Smure the candle, put it out.
1903. Q. Rev., July, 25. When kindling or ‘smooring’ a fire.
