smite: [OE] Old English smītan meant ‘smear’ (it came from a prehistoric Germanic *smītan, which also produced German schmeissen ‘throw’, and probably went back ultimately to the Indo-European base *smēi-, source of Greek smékhein ‘rub, cleanse’, from which English gets smegma [19]). Exactly the same odd semantic development from ‘smear’ to ‘hit’, presumably via an intervening ‘stroke’, happened in the case of strike. => smegma, smut
"to hit, strike, beat," mid-12c., from Old English smitan, which however is attested only as "to daub, smear on; soil, pollute, blemish, defile" (strong verb, past tense smat, past participle smiten), from Proto-Germanic *smitan (cognates: Swedish smita, Danish smide "to smear, fling," Old Frisian smita, Middle Low German and Middle Dutch smiten "to cast, fling," Dutch smijten "to throw," Old High German smizan "to rub, strike," German schmeißen "to cast, fling," Gothic bismeitan "to spread, smear"). "The development of the various senses is not quite clear, but that of throwing is perh. the original one" [OED]. Watkins suggests "the semantic channel may have been slapping mud on walls in wattle and daub construction" and connects it with PIE *sme- "to smear;" Klein's sources also say this.
Sense of "slay in combat" (c. 1300) is from Biblical expression smite to death, first attested c. 1200. Meaning "visit disastrously" is mid-12c., also Biblical. Meaning "strike with passion or emotion" is from c. 1300.
双语例句
1. It didn't do a smite of good.
一点效果也没有.
来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
2. God will smite our enemies.
上帝将击溃我们的敌人.
来自辞典例句
3. The lips are compressed for curses, and the hands clenched and ready to smite.
他们一面咬牙切齿只想诅咒, 一面摩拳擦掌准备厮杀了.
来自辞典例句
4. You think that God will smite him because of our insensitivity?
你认为我们的敏感会使上帝打击他?
来自电影对白
5. Examples: Sneak Attack, Smite, Commander Effects that add to damage.
