[f. SMOOTH v.]
1. The action of the verb, in various senses; an instance of this. Also fig.
1577. B. Googe, Heresbach’s Husb., I. (1586), 33 b. The Meale which the people in olde tyme dyd vse for the smoothing of their skinnes.
1663. Gerbier, Counsel, d iij. Some of them Bear-like-whelps (by licking and smoothing) have gotten some fashionable like shape.
1676. Row, Contn. Blair’s Autobiogr., xi. (1848), 291. After some smoothings of it, it was approven.
1738. in 6th Rep. Dep. Kpr., App. II. 120. A new sort of cast metallick Boxes for the smoothing of Linen.
1822. J. Parkinson, Outl. Oryctol., 253. Every degree of resolution, from … destroying the finest striæ to the smoothing of ridges.
1885. ‘Lucas Malet,’ Col. Enderby’s Wife, III. vi. She … slowly settled her mantle into its place, with sundry dainty pattings and smoothings.
b. Phonology. (See quot. 1888.)
1888. Sweet, Eng. Sounds, 22. ‘Smoothing’ or the levelling of the two elements of a diphthong under a monophthong is the result of absorption. Ibid. (1894), Anglo-Sax. Reader (ed. 7), p. xxiv. When these smoothings occur in WS and Kt texts they may … be due to Angl. scribes.
2. attrib. in the names of appliances, implements, etc., used in smoothing, as smoothing-board (see quot.); smoothing-box, a box-iron (now dial.); † smoothing-leather, a razor-strop; smoothing-mill, -stone (see quots.); smoothing-trowel, a kind of trowel used in plastering.
1688. R. Holme, Armoury, III. xx. (Roxb.), 249/1. Four Instruments belonging to the Art of a Lanthorn maker…. The second … is called a *Smoothing Board.
a. 1700. Evelyn, Diary, 8 Oct. 1672. A thick piece of yron, such as laundresses use to put in their *smoothing-boxes.
1799. G. Smith, Laboratory, II. 409. It will be proper to rub the smoothing-box or iron with a little wax.
1709. Phil. Trans., XXVI. 496. I passed the same Razor over my Strop or *Smoothing-Leather.
1850. Holtzapffel, Turning, III. 1302. For soft stones the *smoothing mill is sometimes a plain disk of willow wood or mahogany.
1875. Knight, Dict. Mech., 2227. Smoothing-mill. The polishing-mill of the lapidary. Ibid., *Smoothing-stone. A substitute for a smoothing-iron, made of steatite, attached to a plate and handle of metal.
1825. J. Nicholson, Operat. Mechanic, 612. This coat is spread with a *smoothing-trowel.
1873. E. Spon, Workshop Rec., Ser. I. 121/2. The setting is spread with the smoothing trowel.
b. Smoothing-iron, a flat-iron (also fig.); an iron slicker used for smoothing leather.
(a) 1627. W. Hawkins, Apollo Shroving, IV. iii. 63. The lace is so thicke…. I know not what can foule it, vnlesse the smoothing-iron cast a rusty colour through the paper.
1755. Johnson, s.v. Iron, A flat iron, box iron, or smoothing iron.
1848. Mrs. Gaskell, M. Barton, viii. The smoothing-irons that hung before the fire.
1889. Gretton, Memory’s Harkback, 275. I drew the smoothing-iron over all, by expressing as fully … as I knew how, my admiration of his glorious country.
(b) 1852. Morfit, Tanning & Currying (1853), 370. The wrinkles in the skin are flattened by means of a mallet or a smoothing iron.
c. Smoothing-plane, a small fine-set plane used in finishing (see quots.).
1678. Moxon, Mech. Exerc., iv. 72. The Fore-Plain is used before the Smoothing-Plain.
1703. [R. Neve], City & C. Purchaser, 190. The Smoothing-plane … is a thick Plate of Polish’d brass, about 9 Inches square, a little turn’d up, on all the 4 edges.
1815. J. Smith, Panorama Sci. & Art, I. 110. The smoothing-plane is about seven inches in length, it has no tote or handle, and otherwise differs in shape from any of the planes yet mentioned.
1875. Sir T. Seaton, Fret-Cutting, 83. The smoothing-plane must be set very fine, and the upper iron should come quite low down towards the edge.
