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.
Quotation dates: 1801-1933
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SMUIST, v., n. Also smoost, smoust, smoosht, reduced form smooze; and freq. forms sm(u)ister, smyster, smushter, smooshter (Sc. 1911 S.D.D.). [smøst , smɪst, smust; Abd. smuʃt]
I. v. To emit smoke without much fire, to smoulder, to burn away slowly (Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 429; Cld., Slk., Rxb. 1825 Jam.; Slg. 1921 T.S.D.C., smooze; Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.; Slg., Rxb. 1970). Hence, with extended meanings, ppl.adj. smuisted, smoked (Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 429); deriv. smuister, smushter, v., to emit thick choking vapour like smoke, ppl.adj. sm(u)isterin, smysterin, hugging the fire, sitting idly or sleepily by the fire (Cld. (smysterin), Rxb. (smuisterin) 1825 Jam.; Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.); smooshter, n., a smouldering fire (Abd. 1925).Slk. 1801 Hogg Sc. Pastorals 16:
They'll set alunt that smoostin' fire.Cld. 1818 Scots Mag. (Oct.) 328:
Nae sun shines there, the mochie air Wi' smuisteran' rowks stinks vyld.Fif. 1864 W. D. Latto T. Bodkin ii.:
"Deed aye 'oman, ye may say sae," quoth anither smysterin' hash, as she laid her lugs in the caudle cup.Abd. 1895 G. Williams Scarbraes 53:
The bothy "smushtered" so that the cleanliness was next to impossible.Fif. 1933 J. Ressich Thir Braw Days 26:
Burnin' a bit hole in the wood an' smoostin' awa' atwixt the flue an' a press.
II. n. A smouldering (Rxb. 1825 Jam.); a thick choking sulphurous smoke or its smell (Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 429; Cld., Rxb. 1825 Jam.; Kcb. 1929, smuist(er); Dmf. 1970). Adj. smuisty, smoky.Sc. 1832 Tait's Mag. (Aug.) 646:
The smoust of his infernal origin.Sc. 1893 Stevenson Catriona xxi.:
All Edinburgh and the Pentland Hills glinted above me in a kind of smuisty brightness.Dmf. 1925 Trans. Dmf. and Gall. Antiq. Soc. XIII. 39:
Smoke drifing down one vent from another causes disagreeable smuist in a room.Rxb. 1925 E. C. Smith Mang Howes 4:
Mang reekin lums an chowkin smuists.
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"Smuist v., n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 9 Apr 2026 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/smuist>
