Definition of "smoothing" [smooth•ing]

• Present participle of smooth. (verb)
• The act by which something is made smooth. (noun)

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• "Smoothing techniques for N-gram models The term smoothing refer to such modi fi cations in the MLE estimates of N - gram probabilities that are addressed to move some probability mass from higher counts to zero-counts, making the overall distribution less jagged (Figure 2.5)."
• "Portfolio manager Harvey Neiman calls the low-volatility ranking a measure of the fund's success in smoothing out the ups and downs of a rough market."
• "In the South Seas the natives use it as a wood file in smoothing down canoes and paddles."