smører

Smører is the present tense form of the Norwegian verb smøre, which means to spread, coat, or grease a surface. The verb covers applying a layer of a substance to something, whether for cooking, maintenance, or skin care. The infinitive is smøre; the past tense is smurte; the past participle (supine) is smurt; the imperative form is smør.

Common uses include cooking, where one smører bread with butter or spreads; maintenance or mechanical work, where one smører moving parts with oil or grease to reduce friction and wear; and medical or cosmetic contexts, where one smører creams or ointments onto the skin. In everyday language, the sense is generally to apply a substance evenly over a surface.

Etymology and related forms: smøre derives from Old Norse smora and is cognate with Danish smøre and Swedish smöra, reflecting common Germanic roots for the concept of spreading or greasing. The related noun smør means butter, and the word pair appears in languages across the region with overlapping meanings. In Danish and Norwegian, the term also appears in compound phrases related to lubrication and spreading, such as situations involving applying substances over a surface.

See also: smøring (lubrication), smør (butter), smørbrød (open-faced sandwich in Danish contexts). The term is widely used across Bokmål and Nynorsk, with identical core meaning focused on applying or spreading a substance.