What does “schmear” mean?

Meaning and local context

schmear means A spread, especially cream cheese on a bagel. in New York local language. A Yiddish-derived New York food word.

How it is used

Ordering a bagel with a schmear usually means a generous spread of cream cheese. One example is “Bagel with a schmear, please.”, which corresponds to “A bagel with cream cheese, please.” in plain English.

Example interpretation

A second example is “Add a light schmear.”, where the same local sense is expressed as “Add a small amount of spread.”. Reading both examples together helps distinguish this regional meaning from other possible readings of the word or phrase.

Tone and register

The word can have other figurative meanings outside food. This caution is part of understanding “schmear”: the definition tells you what it means, while the surrounding situation and tone help you judge whether using it yourself is appropriate.