smudge.

1. A mark made when dirt, ink, or another substance is spread unevenly.

2. A slow-burning fire or device used to produce smoke, for example to repel insects or protect crops.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• ink smudge
• soot smudge

On the page

An ink smudge obscured the final digit.

Usage notes

Primary category: sensory / description. Forms: Singular smudge; plural smudges. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Writing functions: description. Commonness: moderately common. Third-person singular: smudges.