SMITH  , a worker in metals . The O . Eng. smid, Du. smid, Ger . Schmied, &c., are from an obsolete Teut. verb smeithan, to forge . The

root is seen in Gr. o sLXtl, a graver's tool . It is apparently not connected with " smooth," where an original in has been lost . There is no foundation for the old etymological guess which identifies " smith " with " to smite, " as the one who smites or beats iron . When used without such qualification as appears in " goldsmith," " silversmith," &c., the term means a worker in iron, especially as indicating a " blacksmith," one who forges iron, as opposed to " whitesmith," the finisher and polisher of iron, or " tinsmith," a worker in tin . The word has originated one of the commonest of English surnames, sometimes taking various archaic forms (Smyth, Smythe, Smigth, &c.; also German Schmidt) .