Middle English smerten, "to cause pain, to suffer pain," from Old English smeortan "be painful," in reference to wounds, from Proto-Germanic *smarta- (source also of Middle Dutch smerten, Dutch smarten, Old High German smerzan, German schmerzen "to pain," originally "to bite"). The Germanic word is perhaps cognate with Latin mordēre "to bite, bite into," figuratively "to pain, cause hurt," and both might be from an extended form of PIE root *mer- "to rub away, harm." Usually of a lively, pungent, local pain. Related: Smarted; smarts; smarting.

"given to meddling, apt to interpose in the affairs of others," 1610s, from meddle + -some (1). Earlier was medlous "quarrelsome, meddlesome" (mid-15c.). Related: Meddlesomely; meddlesomeness. "Meddlesome Matty" is the title of a piece by Ann Taylor in "Original Poems for Infant Minds" (1806) about a little girl who, by meddling, breaks her grandmother's eye-glasses and gets a face-full of grandma's snuff.

Matilda, smarting with the pain,

  And tingling still, and sore,

Made many a promise to refrain

  From meddling evermore;

And 'tis a fact as I have heard.

She ever since has kept her word.

The book, which also included "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" by Ann's sister Jane, was very popular in its day.