Definition
A fungal disease affecting plants, particularly grains; also refers to obscene or pornographic material, or soot and dirt that causes staining.
Etymology
From Middle English, probably from Middle Low German 'smudde' meaning dirt or stain. The agricultural meaning came first, with the obscenity sense developing in the 18th century from the idea of moral 'dirtiness' or corruption.
Kelly Says
It's fascinating how 'smut' connects agricultural disease, physical dirt, and moral corruption—all stemming from the same concept of contamination or staining. The word demonstrates how we often use metaphors of cleanliness and dirtiness to discuss both physical and moral states.
Translations
ARالعربية
سِمْيَة
si-mee-ah
CACatalà
pornografia
por-no-gra-fee
CSČeština
pornografie
por-no-gra-fee
DADansk
pornografi
por-no-gra-fee
DEDeutsch
Pornografie
por-no-gra-fee-eh
ELΕλληνικά
πορνογραφία
por-no-gra-fee-a
ESEspañol
pornografía
por-no-gra-fee-ah
FAفارسی
pornografi
por-no-gra-fee
FRFrançais
pornographie
por-no-gra-fee
HEעברית
pornografia
por-no-gra-fee-ah
HIहिन्दी
अश्लील
ash-lee-l
HUMagyar
pornográfia
por-no-gra-fee-ya
IDBahasa Indonesia
pornografi
por-no-gra-fee
ITItaliano
pornografia
por-no-gra-fee-ah
KKKK
порнография
por-no-gra-fee-ya
KMKM
កម្មវិធី
kam-mva-thee
MSBahasa Melayu
pornografi
por-no-gra-fee
NONorsk
pornografi
por-no-gra-fee
PLPolski
pornografia
por-no-gra-fee-ya
PTPortuguês
pornografia
por-no-gra-fee-ah
RORomână
pornografie
por-no-gra-fee
RUРусский
порнография
por-no-gra-fee-ya
SVSvenska
pornografi
por-no-gra-fee
SWKiswahili
ukimwi
oo-kim-wee
TLTL
pornograpiya
por-no-gra-pee-ya
TRTürkçe
cinsel içerikli materyal
sin-sel ich-erik-li ma-te-ri-yal
UKУкраїнська
порнографія
por-no-gra-fee-ya
VITiếng Việt
pornographic
por-no-gra-fik
Ethical Language Guidance
Gender History
Historically applied disproportionately to women's sexuality and publications; gendered morality judgment embedded in the term's pejorative use.
Inclusive Usage
Use 'erotic content' or 'adult material' for neutral description; avoid when the gendered moral judgment is the actual concern.
Inclusive Alternatives
["erotic content","adult material","explicit content"]