Smuggle Definition

smŭgəl

smuggled, smuggles, smuggling

verb

To bring into a country (a prohibited item) secretively and intentionally, in violation of the law.

American Heritage

To bring into or take out of a country secretly, under illegal conditions or without paying the required import or export duties.

Webster's New World

To practice smuggling; be a smuggler.

Webster's New World

To bring, take, carry, etc. secretly or stealthily.

Webster's New World

(slang) To thrash or be thrashed by a bear's claws, or to swipe at or be swiped at by a person's arms in a bearlike manner.

Wiktionary

Synonyms:

Origin of Smuggle

From earlier smuckle, either from Dutch smokkelen (“to smuggle"), a frequentative form of Middle Dutch smÅ«ken (“to act secretly, be sneaky"), or from Dutch Low Saxon or German Low German smuggeln. The Dutch and Low German words are both ultimately from Proto-Germanic *smeuganÄ… (“to snuggle, cling to"), from Proto-Indo-European *smewk-, *smewg- (“to slip, glide; be slimy"). Cognate with Saterland Frisian smukkeln (“to move insidiously, smuggle"), West Frisian smokkelje (“to smuggle"), German schmuggeln (“to smuggle"), Danish smugle (“to smuggle"), Swedish smuggla (“to smuggle"). Related also to Icelandic smjúga (“to creep, penetrate"), Swedish smyga (“to sneak, slip, crawl, lurk, steal"), German schmiegen (“to nestle, wrap, snuggle"), Old English smÄ“ogan, smÅ«gan (“to creep, crawl, move gradually, penetrate").

From Wiktionary
Probably Low German smukkeln, smuggeln or Middle Dutch smokkelen

From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

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