Adjacent Words

Curl definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

CURL, v.t.
1. To turn, bend or form into ringlets; to crisp; as the hair.
2. To writhe; to twist; to coil; as a serpent.
3. To dress with curls.
The snaky locks that curled Megaera.
4. To raise in waves or undulations; to ripple.
Seas would be pools, without the brushing air to curl the waves.
CURL, v.i.
1. To bend in contraction; to shrink into ringlets.
2. To rise in waves or undulation; to ripple; and particularly, to roll over at the summit; as a curling wave.
3. To rise in a winding current, and to roll over at the ends; as curling smoke.
4. To writhe; to twist itself.
Then round her slender waist he curled.
5. To shrink; to shrink back; to bend and sink. He curled down into a corner.
CURL, n.
1. A ringlet of hair, or any thing of a like form.
2. Undulation; a waving; sinuosity; flexure.
3. A winding int he grain of wood.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a round shape formed by a series of concentric circles (as formed by leaves or flower petals) [syn: coil, whorl, roll, curl, curlicue, ringlet, gyre, scroll]
2: American chemist who with Richard Smalley and Harold Kroto discovered fullerenes and opened a new branch of chemistry (born in 1933) [syn: Curl, Robert Curl, Robert F. Curl, Robert Floyd Curl Jr.]
3: a strand or cluster of hair [syn: lock, curl, ringlet, whorl] v
1: form a curl, curve, or kink; "the cigar smoke curled up at the ceiling" [syn: curl, curve, kink]
2: shape one's body into a curl; "She curled farther down under the covers"; "She fell and drew in" [syn: curl up, curl, draw in]
3: wind around something in coils or loops [syn: coil, loop, curl] [ant: uncoil]
4: twist or roll into coils or ringlets; "curl my hair, please" [syn: curl, wave]
5: play the Scottish game of curling

Merriam Webster's

biographical name Robert Floyd 1933- American chemist

Merriam Webster's

I. verb Etymology: Middle English, from crul curly, probably from Middle Dutch; akin to Old High German krol curly Date: 14th century transitive verb 1. to form (as the hair) into coils or ringlets 2. to form into a curved shape ; twist <curled his lip in a sneer> 3. to furnish with curls intransitive verb 1. a. to grow in coils or spirals b. to form ripples or crinkles <bacon curling in a pan> 2. to move or progress in curves or spirals ; wind <the path curled along the mountainside> 3. twist, contort 4. to play the game of curling II. noun Date: 1578 1. a lock of hair that coils ; ringlet 2. something having a spiral or winding form ; coil 3. the action of curling ; the state of being curled 4. a curved or spiral marking in the grain of wood 5. a hollow arch of water formed when the crest of a breaking wave spills forward 6. a usually short pass pattern in football in which a receiver runs downfield and then curves back toward the line of scrimmage 7. a body-building exercise in which a weight held with the palms facing up is raised and lowered by flexing only the wrists or elbows

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v. & n. --v. 1 tr. & intr. (often foll. by up) bend or coil into a spiral; form or cause to form curls. 2 intr. move in a spiral form (smoke curling upwards). 3 a intr. (of the upper lip) be raised slightly on one side as an expression of contempt or disapproval. b tr. cause (the lip) to do this. 4 intr. play curling. --n. 1 a lock of curled hair. 2 anything spiral or curved inwards. 3 a a curling movement or act. b the state of being curled. 4 a disease of plants in which the leaves are curled up. Phrases and idioms: curl up 1 lie or sit with the knees drawn up. 2 colloq. writhe with embarrassment or horror. make a person's hair curl colloq. shock or horrify a person. out of curl lacking energy. Etymology: ME; earliest form crolled, crulled f. obs. adj. crolle, crulle curly f. MDu. krul

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Curl Curl, v. i. 1. To contract or bend into curls or ringlets, as hair; to grow in curls or spirals, as a vine; to be crinkled or contorted; to have a curly appearance; as, leaves lie curled on the ground. Thou seest it [hair] will not curl by nature. --Shak. 2. To move in curves, spirals, or undulations; to contract in curving outlines; to bend in a curved form; to make a curl or curls. ``Cirling billows.'' --Dryden. Then round her slender waist he curled. --Dryden. Curling smokes from village tops are seen. --Pope. Gayly curl the waves before each dashing prow. --Byron. He smiled a king of sickly smile, and curled up on the floor. --Bret Harte. 3. To play at the game called curling. [Scot.]

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Curl Curl (k[^u]rl), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Curled (k[^u]rld); p. pr. & vb. n. Curling.] [Akin to D. krullen, Dan. kr["o]lle, dial. Sw. krulla to curl, crisp; possibly akin to E. crook. Cf. Curl, n., Cruller.] 1. To twist or form into ringlets; to crisp, as the hair. But curl their locks with bodkins and with braid. --Cascoigne. 2. To twist or make onto coils, as a serpent's body. Of his tortuous train, Curled many a wanton wreath in sight of Eve. --Milton. 3. To deck with, or as with, curls; to ornament. Thicker than the snaky locks That curledMeg[ae]ra. --Milton. Curling with metaphors a plain intention. --Herbert. 4. To raise in waves or undulations; to ripple. Seas would be pools without the brushing air To curl the waves. --Dryden. 5. (Hat Making) To shape (the brim) into a curve.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Curl Curl (k[^u]rl), n. [Akin to D. krul, Dan. kr["o]lle. See Curl, v. ] 1. A ringlet, especially of hair; anything of a spiral or winding form. Under a coronet, his flowing hair In curls on either cheek played. --Milton. 2. An undulating or waving line or streak in any substance, as wood, glass, etc.; flexure; sinuosity. If the glass of the prisms . . . be without those numberless waves or curls which usually arise from the sand holes. --Sir I. Newton. 3. A disease in potatoes, in which the leaves, at their first appearance, seem curled and shrunken. Blue curls. (Bot.) See under Blue.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(curls, curling, curled) 1. If you have curls, your hair is in the form of tight curves and spirals. ...the little girl with blonde curls... N-COUNT 2. If your hair has curl, it is full of curls. Dry curly hair naturally for maximum curl and shine. N-UNCOUNT 3. If your hair curls or if you curl it, it is full of curls. She has hair that refuses to curl... Maria had curled her hair for the event... Afro hair is short and tightly curled. VERB: V, V n, V-ed 4. A curl of something is a piece or quantity of it that is curved or spiral in shape. A thin curl of smoke rose from a rusty stove. ...curls of lemon peel. N-COUNT: usu with supp, oft N of n 5. If your toes, fingers, or other parts of your body curl, or if you curl them, they form a curved or round shape. His fingers curled gently round her wrist... Raise one foot, curl the toes and point the foot downwards... She sat with her legs curled under her. = bend VERB: V prep/adv, V n, V-ed, also V, V n prep/adv 6. If something curls somewhere, or if you curl it there, it moves there in a spiral or curve. Smoke was curling up the chimney... He curled the ball into the net. VERB: V prep/adv, V n prep/adv 7. If a person or animal curls into a ball, they move into a position in which their body makes a rounded shape. He wanted to curl into a tiny ball... The kitten was curled on a cushion on the sofa. VERB: V into n, V-ed • Curl up means the same as curl. In colder weather, your cat will curl up into a tight, heat-conserving ball... She curled up next to him... He was asleep there, curled up in the fetal position. PHRASAL VERB: V P into n, V P, V-ed P 8. When a leaf, a piece of paper, or another flat object curls, its edges bend towards the centre. The rose leaves have curled because of an attack by grubs. VERB: V • Curl up means the same as curl. The corners of the lino were curling up. PHRASAL VERB: V P

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. n. 1. Ringlet. 2. Sinuosity, winding, undulation, flexure, wave, waving. II. v. a. 1. Crisp, turn in ringlets. 2. Writhe, wind, twist. 3. Raise in waves. III. v. n. Be bent into curls or waves, ripple, wind, twist, turn, writhe.

Moby Thesaurus

arc, arch, bend, bend back, bow, catacaustic, catenary, caustic, circle, cirrus, coil, conchoid, corkscrew, crimp, crisp, crook, curlicue, curve, decurve, deflect, diacaustic, dome, ellipse, embow, entwine, evolute, festoon, flex, frizz, frizzle, gyre, helix, hook, hump, hunch, hyperbola, incurvate, incurve, inflect, involute, kink, lituus, lock, loop, parabola, ponytail, recurve, reflect, reflex, retroflex, ringlet, roll, round, sag, screw, scroll, sinus, spiral, swag, sweep, swirl, tendril, tracery, turn, twine, twirl, twist, vault, volute, volution, vortex, whirl, whorl, wind, wreathe