north. dial. Forms: 7 smought, smoute, 9 smout, 8–9 smoot, etc. [Of Scand. origin: cf. ON. smátta, Norw. dial. smotta, smott, Sw. dial. smott, smutt, Da. smutte narrow passage, hole, etc.] A hole or opening at the foot of a wall, the bottom of a fence or hedge, etc., esp. one allowing the passage of hares, rabbits or sheep; a narrow passage or entrance in a beehive. (Cf. SMOOT-HOLE.)
1615. in Trans. Cumb. & Westm. Archaeol. Soc. (1906), III. 154. Thomas Langhorne shall make his Smoughts three quarters high and three quarters broad to receive the water which cometh down by the Righouse.
1641. Best, Farm. Bks. (Surtees), 62. Then are yow to sette downe the hive on the sieve, leavinge an open smoute for them to goe in just towards the South, and to cover the backside of the hive … on all sides but onely where you make the smoute.
1788. W. H. Marshall, Yorksh., II. 353. Smoot; a hare muce; or any small gap or hole in the bottom of a hedge.
1869–. in north. dial. glossaries (in forms smeut, smeyut, smut(e, etc.).
1891. J. C. Atkinson, Moorland Parish, 84. The hare had run through the smout into Nanny’s garth.
1893. J. Watson, Conf. Poacher, 58. I scanned the smoots and gates through which she [a hare] passed.
