smelt
/smelt/ (bre, ipa) · [smˈɛlt] /smelt/ (ame, ipa) · [smˈɛlt] /ˈsmelt/ (ame, mw)
smelt — verb
- smeltpresent simple I / you / we / they
- smeltshe / she / it
- smeltedpast simple
- smelting-ing form
1. the form of the verb 'smell' used when an action of noticing a scent happened in
the form of the verb 'smell' used when an action of noticing a scent happened in the past, or when a past smelling action is described with a helper verb like 'have' or 'had'.
Jenna smelt smoke as soon as she stepped off the train at the station.
past simple with time reference 'as soon as'
Minh had already smelt the gas leak before the alarm went off in the building.
past perfect: 'had + smelt' showing earlier action
The puppy smelt the food bowl and ran across the kitchen floor happily.
Théo held the cheese and smelt it to decide if it was still good.
Hui realised she had never smelt anything as fresh as the air after the storm.
文法句型
smelt + [noun phrase] (past simple)
have/has/had + smelt (past participle)
用法筆記
Both 'smelt' and 'smelled' are accepted past forms of 'smell'. 'Smelt' is more common in British English; 'smelled' appears more often in American English. The past tense of the metal-extraction verb 'smelt' (sense 2) is 'smelted', not 'smelt'.
常見錯誤
2. to use intense heat on mineral ore or discarded metal items, causing a chemical
to use intense heat on mineral ore or discarded metal items, causing a chemical reaction that releases the pure metal from unwanted materials so it can be collected and reshaped.
Arjun works at a factory where they smelt copper from ore brought from the mine.
smelt + metal + from + source (ore)
The villagers learned to smelt iron by building a furnace from clay and stones.
smelt + metal + by + method
Wren watched the team smelt old aluminium cans into flat sheets for roofing.
Felix explained that you need temperatures above one thousand degrees to smelt iron ore.
Gold has been smelted from river sand in this region for over two thousand years.
- refine
broader — means to purify any substance (sugar, oil, metal), not limited to heating ore
- extract
more general — removing something from a source, not necessarily by heat
- melt down
informal — focuses on turning metal objects into liquid for reuse, not on ore processing
- process
even broader — any series of steps to prepare or treat a material
文法句型
smelt + [metal/ore] + from + [source]
smelt + [material] + into + [product]
用法筆記
Smelting is not the same as melting. Melting only changes a solid into a liquid by heat without changing its chemical makeup. Smelting causes a chemical reaction that separates the metal from other substances like oxygen or sulfur in the ore. The subject is often a person, company, or community involved in industrial or craft metalwork.
常見錯誤
smelt — noun
- smeltsingular
- smeltsplural
1. a small, shiny fish with a silver colour that lives in cold salt water near coas
a small, shiny fish with a silver colour that lives in cold salt water near coasts and often travels into rivers to lay eggs; it is valued as food and has a mild, slightly sweet taste.
Folake bought a bag of fresh smelt from the fish market near the harbour.
food context: buying smelt at market
Each spring, groups of smelt swim up rivers to lay their eggs in the gravel.
biology: spawning migration pattern
Bao ordered crispy fried smelt with lemon juice and a side of salad.
The number of smelt in Lake Michigan has dropped because of changes in water temperature.
- rainbow smelt
the most common species, found in North America, Europe, and East Asia
- whitebait
a general term for very small, soft-boned fish eaten whole, including young smelt
- capelin
a similar small silvery fish from the same family (Osmeridae)
文法句型
[countable] a smelt; [plural] smelt or smelts
用法筆記
The noun 'smelt' is unrelated to either verb sense of 'smelt' (extract metal or past of 'smell'). The fish name comes from a different historical source. The plural can be 'smelt' (unchanged) or 'smelts'; both forms are used.