📖 C — The English dictionary · page 97

curl — Everyday, meaning 1: A curl is a piece of hair that grows or is shaped in a round twist.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: To curl is to bend into a round or spiral shape.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: To curl up is to lie with your arms and legs pulled close to your body.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: A curl is any spiral shape, like a curl of smoke.↗ Example: She has long brown curls.↗ · The cat curled up on the cushion.↗ · A hedgehog curls into a ball when it is scared.↗ · Smoke curled from the chimney.↗ · The dry leaves curled at the edges.↗ · He curled his fingers around the cup.↗ · Curling is a sport played on ice with heavy stones.↗ · Then he curled himself up and went to sleep.↗ · His head is as the most fine gold, his locks are curled, and black as a raven.↗ (Writings SNG.5.11, JPS 1917)↗ · And it shall come to pass, that instead of sweet spices there shall be rottenness; and instead of a girdle rags; and instead of curled hair baldness; and instead of a stomacher a girding of sackcloth; branding instead of beauty.↗ (Prophets ISA.3.24, JPS 1917)↗

curlicue — Everyday, meaning 1: A fancy curl or twist in writing, drawing or ironwork.↗ Example: She drew curlicues around her name.↗ · The gate had iron curlicues at the top.↗ · His moustache ended in curlicues.↗

curliness — Everyday, meaning 1: The quality of being curly, having curls or twists: «the curliness of her hair».↗ Everyday, meaning 2: How much something bends or curls, such as a pig's tail, a fern or ribbon.↗ Example: The curliness of her hair grew in the rainy weather.↗ · My dog's curliness means he doesn't shed much fur.↗ · Damp air increases the curliness of my hair.↗ · The curliness of the pig's tail made us laugh.↗ · Hair curliness can run in families.↗ · The ribbon kept its curliness after we pulled it with the scissors.↗

curly — Everyday, meaning 1: Curly means having curls, like hair that grows in rings or waves.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Curly means shaped in curves or spirals, like a curly tail or curly writing.↗ Example: She has long curly red hair.↗ · A pig has a short curly tail.↗ · We ate curly fries at the fair.↗ · Curl the ribbon with scissors to make it curly.↗ · His writing is very curly and hard to read.↗ · The baby's hair is getting curlier.↗ · In some maths books, sets are written in curly brackets.↗

currant — Everyday, meaning 1: A small dried black grape without seeds, used in cakes, buns and puddings.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A small round berry that grows in bunches on a bush: blackcurrant, redcurrant, whitecurrant.↗ Example: Five currant buns in a baker's shop, round and fat with a sugar on the top.↗ · The cake had «EAT ME» written on it in currants.↗ · We picked redcurrants in the garden.↗ · Blackcurrants are full of vitamin C.↗ · Put a handful of currants into the scone mixture.↗ · Each bun has 8 currants; how many currants are in 5 buns?↗ · She bought a loaf of brown bread and five currant buns.↗

currency — Everyday, meaning 1: A currency is the kind of money used in a country, such as the dollar, the pound or the euro.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Currency is money in general, as coins and notes.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: If an idea has currency, many people accept or use it.↗ Example: The currency of the USA is the US dollar.↗ · The UK uses the pound as its currency.↗ · Ireland uses the euro.↗ · Australia, Canada and New Zealand each have their own dollar currency.↗ · We changed our money into the local currency at the airport.↗ · In the game, gold coins are the currency.↗ · Bitcoin is a kind of digital currency.↗ · With the present instalment the tale of English Fairy Stories that are likely to obtain currency among the young folk is complete.↗

current — Everyday, meaning 1: A current is a strong movement of water or air in one direction, as in a river or the sea.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: An electric current is the flow of electricity through a wire.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: Current (adjective) means happening or existing now: the current weather.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: If a story or word is current, many people in a place know it and use it.↗ Example: The river current is too strong for swimming.↗ · Swim between the red and yellow flags to avoid rip currents.↗ · An electric current flows through the wire to the bulb.↗ · If the circuit is broken, the current cannot flow.↗ · The boat drifted with the current.↗ · Who is the current captain of the team?↗ · Warm ocean currents make some coasts milder.↗ · A rip current can pull you away from the beach.↗ · "vitty" = Devonian for "decent," I conclude the tale is current in Devon.↗ · And Abraham hearkened unto Ephron; and Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver, which he had named in the hearing of the children of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, current money with the merchant.↗ (Torah GEN.23.16, JPS 1917)↗

currently — Everyday, meaning 1: Currently means now, at this time.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: It tells how things are at the moment, which may change later.↗ Example: Sam currently has 15 dollars.↗ · The tank currently holds 30 liters.↗ · Lisa is currently 9 years old.↗ · Currently there are 40 birds in the tree.↗ · The pool is currently closed.↗ · It is currently raining in London.↗ · She is currently reading a book about space.↗

curriculum — Everyday, meaning 1: A curriculum is all the subjects and topics that are taught at a school, college or in a course.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A curriculum is also the plan of what is taught in one subject, like the maths curriculum.↗ Example: Coding is now on the school curriculum.↗ · The national curriculum says what children learn in each year.↗ · Our science curriculum includes space and plants.↗ · Teachers plan lessons from the curriculum.↗ · The new curriculum has more outdoor learning.↗

curry — Everyday, meaning 1: A curry is a dish of meat, fish or vegetables cooked in a spicy sauce, often eaten with rice or bread; it comes from South Asian cooking.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Curry powder is a mixture of spices used to make such dishes.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: To curry favour means to try to make someone like you by flattering them or doing things for them.↗ Example: We had chicken curry and rice for dinner.↗ · This curry is too hot for me!↗ · Dad makes a mild vegetable curry.↗ · Add a spoonful of curry powder.↗ · On Friday we got a curry from the takeaway.↗ · He tried to curry favour with the teacher by bringing her apples.↗ · Curries often contain cumin, turmeric and chilli.↗ · There he saw his seven daughters carefully washing the rice and preparing the curry, and as each dish was completed, they put it by the fire ready to be cooked.↗

currycomb — Everyday, meaning 1: A metal comb with rows of teeth, used to clean and brush a horse's coat.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: To currycomb a horse is to brush it with such a comb.↗ Example: The groom used a currycomb on the pony.↗ · Brush the horse with the currycomb, then with a soft brush.↗ · He currycombed the mare until she shone.↗

curse — Everyday, meaning 1: A curse is a magic spell or wish that something bad will happen to someone, as in fairy tales.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A curse is a rude or swear word that someone says when angry.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (verb) To curse is to swear or use bad words, or to say angry things.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: (verb) To curse someone is to put a magic spell on them.↗ Everyday, meaning 5: A curse can be something that causes lots of trouble, like a long-lasting problem.↗ Example: The wicked witch put a curse on the princess.↗ · The castle was under a curse for a hundred years.↗ · He cursed when he stubbed his toe.↗ · Please don't curse in the classroom.↗ · She cursed under her breath when the bus drove away.↗ · The rain was the curse of our camping trip.↗ · The curse was broken when the frog was kissed.↗ · ‘These flowers are under a curse.↗ · Cursed be he that removeth his neighbour's landmark.↗ (Torah DEU.27.17, JPS 1917)↗ · Cursed be he that lieth with his mother-in-law.↗ (Torah DEU.27.23, JPS 1917)↗ · Cursed shall be thy basket and thy kneading-trough.↗ (Torah DEU.28.17, JPS 1917)↗ · After this opened Job his mouth, and cursed his day.↗ (Writings JOB.3.1, JPS 1917)↗ · Thou wilt give them hardness of heart, Thy curse unto them.↗ (Writings LAM.3.65, JPS 1917)↗ · I have seen the foolish taking root; but suddenly I beheld his habitation cursed.↗ (Writings JOB.5.3, JPS 1917)↗

cursive — Everyday, meaning 1: (noun) Joined-up handwriting, in which the letters of a word are connected by flowing strokes: «We are learning cursive».↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (adjective) Written with joined, flowing letters: «cursive writing», «a cursive font».↗ Example: We practise cursive every morning in Year 3.↗ · Grandma's letters are in beautiful cursive.↗ · Some children find cursive faster than printing.↗ · Can you read the cursive on this old postcard?↗ · The invitation was printed in a curly cursive font.↗ · Joining the letters is the trick to cursive writing.↗ · My teacher says neat cursive helps spelling.↗

curt — Everyday, meaning 1: Curt means rudely short: a curt reply uses very few words and sounds cold or unfriendly.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (rare) Curt can mean simply brief or short.↗ Example: «No,» she said in a curt voice.↗ · His curt reply made me feel silly for asking.↗ · The shopkeeper gave us a curt nod.↗ · Try not to be curt with your little sister.↗ · The email was curt: «Not today.»↗ · The coach was curt after the team lost.↗ · I'm sorry I was so curt with you this morning.↗

curtail — Everyday, meaning 1: (formal) To cut something short or make it smaller, less or shorter, often against people's wishes.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (formal) To limit or reduce someone's freedom or power.↗ Example: Rain curtailed the cricket match.↗ · The school trip was curtailed because a storm was coming.↗ · The council has curtailed spending on the parks.↗ · (formal) The new rules curtail the use of phones in class.↗ · Our holiday was curtailed when Grandma fell ill.↗ · The king tried to curtail the power of the lords.↗ · (formal) Candidates must curtail their answers to two hundred words.↗ · I have reduced the pieces of advice to three, and curtailed somewhat.↗

curtain — Everyday, meaning 1: A curtain is a piece of cloth that hangs over a window to block light or stop people looking in.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A curtain is also the big cloth across the front of a stage in a theatre.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: A curtain of something is a thick wall of it, like a curtain of rain.↗ Example: Please close the curtains; it's getting dark.↗ · She opened the curtains and let the sun in.↗ · The curtain went up and the play began.↗ · Keep candles away from the curtains.↗ · Tie up curtain cords so little kids can't reach them.↗ · We hid behind the curtain in hide-and-seek.↗ · A curtain of rain swept across the field.↗ · The actors came out for a curtain call.↗ · She drew aside the curtains of the little bed.↗ · And he coupled five curtains by themselves, and six curtains by themselves.↗ (Torah EXO.36.16, JPS 1917)↗ · And he coupled five curtains one to another; and the other five curtains he coupled one to another.↗ (Torah EXO.36.10, JPS 1917)↗ · And he made curtains of goats' hair for a tent over the tabernacle; eleven curtains he made them.↗ (Torah EXO.36.14, JPS 1917)↗ · Who coverest Thyself with light as with a garment, who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain; (Writings PSA.104.2, JPS 1917)↗ · I see the tents of Cushan in affliction; the curtains of the land of Midian do tremble.↗ (Prophets HAB.3.7, JPS 1917)↗ · 'I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon.↗ (Writings SNG.1.5, JPS 1917)↗

curtly — Everyday, meaning 1: Curtly means in a short, rude, unfriendly way, using very few words.↗ Example: «No,» he said curtly, and shut the door.↗ · The clerk curtly told us to wait.↗ · The Caterpillar answered Alice curtly.↗ · She nodded curtly and walked away.↗ · He curtly refused to help.↗ · The letter was curtly written.↗ · "I ain't tellin' no tales ter bad chilluns," said Uncle Remus curtly.↗

curtsey — Everyday, meaning 1: A polite movement made by girls and women, bending the knees with one foot behind the other, to show respect, for example to a queen or at the end of a performance.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (verb) To make a curtsey.↗ Example: Alice tried to curtsey as she fell.↗ · The ballet dancers curtseyed to the audience.↗ · She curtseyed to the Queen and the Queen smiled.↗ · The maid bobbed a curtsey and left the room.↗ · Bow or curtsey when the music stops.↗ · Alice made a little curtsey to the Duchess.↗ · ‘If you please, sire,’ said the Princess, dropping a curtsey.↗

curtsy — Everyday, meaning 1: A bow made by bending the knees, one foot behind the other, as a sign of respect, done by a girl or woman.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: To curtsy is to make such a bow.↗ Example: The little girl made a curtsy to the queen.↗ · She curtsied and smiled.↗ · Always curtsy when you meet the Queen.↗

curvature — Everyday, meaning 1: Curvature is how much something curves or bends.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (medicine) A curvature of the spine is when the backbone bends sideways or too much.↗ Example: From the top of the mountain we could almost see the curvature of the Earth.↗ · Ships disappear bottom first because of the Earth's curvature.↗ · The curvature of the bridge makes it strong.↗ · A small circle has a greater curvature than a large one.↗ · The doctor checked her back for any curvature of the spine.↗ · The lens's curvature bends the light.↗