Adjacent Words

Curb definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

CURB, n.
1. In the manege, a chain of iron made fast to the upper part of the branches of the bridle, in a hole called the eye, and running over the beard of the horse. It consists of three parts; the hook, fixed to the eye of the branch; the chain or links; and the two rings or mails.
2. Restraint; check; hindrance.
Religion should operate as an effectual curb to the passions.
3. A frame or a wall round the mouth of a well.
4. A hard and callous swelling on the hind part of the hock of a horses leg, attended with stiffness, and sometimes pain and lameness. A tumor on the inside of a horses hoof. A swelling beneath the elbow of a horses hoof.
CURB, v.t.
1. To restrain; to guide and manage; as a horse.
2. To restrain; to check; to hold back; to confine; to keep in subjection; as, to curb the passions.
And wisely learn to curb thy sorrows wild.
3. To furnish or surround with a curb, as a well.
4. To bend. [Not used.]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: an edge between a sidewalk and a roadway consisting of a line of curbstones (usually forming part of a gutter) [syn: curb, curbing, kerb]
2: a horse's bit with an attached chain or strap to check the horse [syn: curb, curb bit]
3: a stock exchange in New York [syn: American Stock Exchange, AMEX, Curb]
4: the act of restraining power or action or limiting excess; "his common sense is a bridle to his quick temper" [syn: bridle, check, curb] v
1: lessen the intensity of; temper; hold in restraint; hold or keep within limits; "moderate your alcohol intake"; "hold your tongue"; "hold your temper"; "control your anger" [syn: control, hold in, hold, contain, check, curb, moderate]
2: to put down by force or authority; "suppress a nascent uprising"; "stamp down on littering"; "conquer one's desires" [syn: suppress, stamp down, inhibit, subdue, conquer, curb]
3: keep to the curb; "curb your dogs"
4: place restrictions on; "curtail drinking in school" [syn: restrict, curtail, curb, cut back]

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Etymology: Middle French courbe curve, curved piece of wood or iron, from courbe curved, from Latin curvus Date: 15th century 1. a bit that exerts severe pressure on a horse's jaws; also the chain or strap attached to it — see bit illustration 2. an enclosing frame, border, or edging 3. check, restraint <a price curb> 4. a raised edge or margin to strengthen or confine 5. an edging (as of concrete) built along a street to form part of a gutter 6. [from the fact that it originally transacted its business on the street] a market for trading in securities not listed on a stock exchange II. transitive verb Date: 1530 1. to furnish with a curb 2. to check or control with or as if with a curb <trying to curb her curiosity> 3. to lead (a dog) to a suitable place (as a gutter) for defecation Synonyms: see restrain

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. & v. --n. 1 a check or restraint. 2 a strap etc. fastened to the bit and passing under a horse's lower jaw, used as a check. 3 an enclosing border or edging such as the frame round the top of a well or a fender round a hearth. 4 = KERB. --v.tr. 1 restrain. 2 put a curb on (a horse). Phrases and idioms: curb roof a roof of which each face has two slopes, the lower one steeper. Etymology: ME f. OF courber f. L curvare bend, CURVE

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Curb Curb, n. 1. That which curbs, restrains, or subdues; a check or hindrance; esp., a chain or strap attached to the upper part of the branches of a bit, and capable of being drawn tightly against the lower jaw of the horse. He that before ran in the pastures wild Felt the stiff curb control his angry jaws. --Drayton. By these men, religion,that should be The curb, is made the spur of tyranny. --Denham. 2. (Arch.) An assemblage of three or more pieces of timber, or a metal member, forming a frame around an opening, and serving to maintain the integrity of that opening; also, a ring of stone serving a similar purpose, as at the eye of a dome. 3. A frame or wall round the mouth of a well; also, a frame within a well to prevent the earth caving in. 4. A curbstone. 5. (Far.) A swelling on the back part of the hind leg of a horse, just behind the lowest part of the hock joint, generally causing lameness. --James Law. Curb bit, a stiff bit having branches by which a leverage is obtained upon the jaws of horse. --Knight. Curb pins (Horology), the pins on the regulator which restrain the hairspring. Curb plate (Arch.), a plate serving the purpose of a curb. Deck curb. See under Deck.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Curb Curb (k?rb), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Curbed (k?rbd); p. pr. & vb. n. Curbing.] [F. courber to bend, curve, L. curvare, fr. curvus bent, curved; cf. Gr. ?????? curved. Cf. Curve.] 1. To bend or curve [Obs.] Crooked and curbed lines. --Holland. 2. To guide and manage, or restrain, as with a curb; to bend to one's will; to subject; to subdue; to restrain; to confine; to keep in check. Part wield their arms, part curb the foaming steed. --Milton. Where pinching want must curbthy warm desires. --Prior. 3. To furnish wich a curb, as a well; also, to restrain by a curb, as a bank of earth.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Curb Curb, v. i. To bend; to crouch; to cringe. [Obs.] Virtue itself of vice must pardon beg, Yea, curb and woo for leave to do him good. --Shak.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(curbs, curbing, curbed) 1. If you curb something, you control it and keep it within limits. ...advertisements aimed at curbing the spread of Aids... Inflation needs to be curbed in Russia. = check, restrain VERB: V n, be V-ed • Curb is also a noun. He called for much stricter curbs on immigration. N-COUNT: oft N on n 2. If you curb an emotion or your behaviour, you keep it under control. He curbed his temper... = check, restrain VERB: V n 3. see kerb

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. n. 1. Restraint, hindrance, bridle. See check, 1. 2. Curb-stone, edge-stone. 3. Breast-wall, retaining-wall. II. v. a. Check, restrain, control, repress, bridle, put under restraint, keep under, hold in check.

Moby Thesaurus

American Stock Exchange, Amex, Tarmac, Tarvia, Wall Street, abstain, arrest, arrestation, asphalt, back band, backpedal, backstrap, backwater, bearing rein, bellyband, bit, bitumen, bituminous macadam, blacktop, blinders, blinds, board, border stone, bottle up, bourse, brake, breeching, brick, bridle, caparison, cavesson, cement, chain, check, checkrein, cheekpiece, chinband, chock, cinch, clip the wings, clog, cobble, cobblestone, collar, commodity exchange, concrete, constrain, constraint, contain, control, cool, cool off, cooling, cooling down, cooling off, corn pit, countercheck, crownband, crupper, curb bit, curb exchange, curb market, curbing, curbstone, curtail, curtailment, dam up, damp, dampen, damper, decelerate, deceleration, delay, detain, dompt, doorstop, drag, drag sail, draw rein, drift anchor, drift sail, drogue, ease off, ease up, edgestone, enjoin, entrammel, exchange, exchange floor, fetter, flag, flagging, flagstone, gag swivel, girth, govern, gravel, guard, hackamore, halter, hames, hametugs, hamper, harness, headgear, headstall, hinder, hindrance, hip straps, hobble, hog-tie, hold, hold at bay, hold back, hold down, hold fast, hold in, hold in check, hold in leash, hold up, holdback, impede, inhibit, inhibition, injunction, intercept, interdict, interfere, intermeddle, interrupt, intervene, jaquima, jerk line, keep, keep back, keep from, keep in, keep in check, keep under control, kerb, kerbstone, lay under restraint, leash, legal restraint, let down, let up, lines, lose ground, lose momentum, lose speed, macadam, manacle, martingale, meddle, moderate, monopoly, noseband, obstruct, oppose, outside market, over-the-counter market, pavement, pavestone, paving, paving stone, pelham, pit, pole strap, prohibit, prohibition, protection, protectionism, protective tariff, pull, pull in, quotation board, rationing, reef, refrain, rein, rein in, reins, relax, remora, repress, resist, restrain, restraint, restraint of trade, retard, retardation, retrench, retrenchment, ribbons, road metal, saddle, scotch, sea anchor, self-control, set back, shackle, shaft tug, side check, slack off, slack up, slacken, slow, slow down, slow up, slowing down, snaffle, snub, spoke, stay, stock exchange, stock market, stock ticker, stone, stop, straiten, subdue, suppress, surcingle, tack, tackle, take in sail, tariff wall, tarmacadam, telephone market, the Big Board, the Exchange, third market, thought control, throttle down, ticker, ticker tape, tie, tie up, tile, trammel, trappings, tug, washboard, wheat pit, winker braces, withhold, yoke