Schmear is a word of Germanic origin, equivalent to "smear" or "spread" (usually fat or butter). In some Germanic languages, the cognate of smear itself means butter (c.f. smör/smør in the North Germanic languages).

The use and spelling of schmear or shmear in American English is a direct loanword from Yiddish, where its original usage referred to cheese.^[1] In modern usage it has extended to anything that can be spread, such as cream cheese spread upon a bagel.^[2] In some cases, it refers to "an entire set or group of related things", or the expression "the whole shmear".^[1] It can also refer to bribery, as a "little extra" spread on top.

In card games such as Schafkopf, Pinochle or Sheepshead, schmearing is to play a high-scoring card to a trick in the hope that one's partner will win it (see schmear (cards)).^{[citation needed]}

As a slang term, the word shmir in Yiddish can also refer to a slap on the face, primarily when disciplining young children.^{[citation needed]}