smirch

Meanings

Noun

• Dirt, or a stain.
• A stain on somebody's reputation.
• A chirp of radiation power from an astronomical body that has a smeared appearance on its plot in the time-frequency plane (usually associated with massive bodies orbiting supermassive black holes)

Verb

• To dirty; to make dirty.
• To harm the reputation of; to smear or slander.

Origin

• Attested since the 15th century; possibly from Old French esmorcher, from Latin morsus or from Dutch smerig (“dirty, gross”)
• Meld of smear and chirp