Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1971 (SND Vol. VIII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

SMUDDER, v. Sc. form of Eng. smother, to choke, suffocate, to cause to smoulder or burn slowly. See D, letter, 4. Phr. smuddered peats, peat treated as in 1920 quot. to produce a kind of charcoal for use in blacksmith's fires.Abd. 1920 A. Robb MS. iii.:
For common smuddert peats wis used an' a fine fire they made, but it hadna the same heatin' poo'er as coal. The iron nott mair o' the haimmer. Ye'll likely be winnerin' fat kin' the smuddert peats wis an' fat wye they war made. They war casten an' dried jist the common wye. Syne they war a' giddert in a hullock an' cover't up wi' weet moss, a' less a wee holie that wis left for kennlin't wi' a fiery peat. Fan the fire got a guid haud the hole wis closed up an' a' the reekin' bores roon' the hullock. The hullock wis a' clappit wi' the back o' a spad an' left tae smudder for a day or twa. Aifter that the moss wis tae'n aff an' they took a look in tae see if it wis a' richt. It wis happit up again for a week or sae. Fan it wis caul', it wis driven hame an' biggit up in the smiddy.Abd. 1922 Swatches o' Hamespun 62:
A hauf-smuddert yowff.Sh. 1970 New Shetlander No. 94, 23:
Dey [peats] lie an smudder idda ess.