Definition 3.5. A small stable -category is smooth if it is perfect as an -module (i.e., in the smallest subcategory of generated by the representables under finite colimits and retracts). If is idempotent-complete, we may equivalently require that is a representable -module: since is an idempotent-complete stable -category, it is closed under finite colimits and retracts, and so any perfect -module is representable.
Original source: arXiv:1001.2282v4