curb

American  

[kurb] / kɜrb /

noun

1. Also kerb a rim, especially of joined stones or concrete, along a street or roadway, forming an edge for a sidewalk.

2. anything that restrains or controls; restraint; check.

3. an enclosing framework or border.

4. Also called curb bit.  a bit used with a bridoon for control of a horse, to which a chain curb chain is hooked.

5. British, kerb market.  Also called kerbstone market.  Also called curb market;.  a market, originally on the sidewalk or street, for the sale of securities not listed on a stock exchange.

6. the framework around the top of a well.

7. the arris between an upper and a lower slope on a gambrel or mansard roof.

8. a belt of metal, masonry, etc., for abutting a dome at its base.

9. (in a windmill) the track on which the cap turns.

10. Veterinary Pathology. a swelling on the lower part of the back of the hock of a horse, often causing lameness.

11. Engineering. the cutting edge at the bottom of a caisson.

12. Carpentry. purlin plate.

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verb (used with object)

curbs, present (3rd person singular) curbed, past participle, past curbing present participle

1. to control as with a curb; restrain; check.

   Synonyms:

   repress, bridle

   Antonyms:

   encourage

2. to cause to keep near the curb.

   Curb your dog.

3. Also kerb to furnish with or protect by a curb.

4. to put a curb on (a horse).

curb ¹ British  

/ kɜːb /

noun

1. something that restrains or holds back

2. any enclosing framework, such as a wall of stones around the top of a well

3. 1. Also called: curb bit.  a horse's bit with an attached chain or strap, which checks the horse

   2. Also called: curb chain.  the chain or strap itself

4. a hard swelling on the hock of a horse

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verb

1. to control with or as if with a curb; restrain

curb ² British  

noun

1. vet science a swelling on the leg of a horse, below the point of the hock, usually caused by a sprain

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Synonym Usage

See check ¹.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• curblike
  adjective
• curbable
  adjective
• curbless
  adjective
• uncurbable
  adjective
• uncurb
  verb (used with object)

Conjugated Forms

Present

• has curbed
  perfect 3rd person singular
• have curbed
  perfect
• have been curbing
  perfect progressive
• curbs
  singular 3rd person
• curbing
  participle
• is curbing
  progressive 3rd person singular
• are curbing
  progressive
• am curbing
  progressive 1st person singular
• has been curbing
  perfect progressive 3rd person singular

Past

• had curbed
  perfect
• had been curbing
  perfect progressive
• were curbing
  progressive plural
• was curbing
  progressive singular
• curbed
  simple
• curbed
  participle

Future

• will curb
  simple
• will have curbed
  perfect
• will be curbing
  progressive
• will have been curbing
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of curb

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English curb, courbe “curved piece of wood” (noun), “stooped, hunchbacked” (adjective), from Anglo-French curb, courb “curved, bowed,” Old French, from Latin curvus “crooked, bent, curved”; see curve

Explanation

The hard thing about learning how to parallel park is trying to get the car close enough to the curb without hitting it. A curb is the edge of the sidewalk beside the road. When you're using the word curb as a noun, it's the raised edging beside a street. When curb is a verb, it means to restrain or hold back, like when you curb your impulse to laugh while watching a badly acted play. Curb comes from the Latin word for "curve," curvus, which describes the shape of a restraining strap on a horse's head — in the fifteenth century, this band was called a curb.

Example Sentences

The wall is intended to curb illegal immigration and narcotics trafficking from Mexico, which have declined, according to official indicators.

From Barron's • Jun. 9, 2026

Measures have been imposed by the regulators to try and curb excessive volatility, and they were triggered both on the way down Monday and then again on the way back up again Tuesday.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 9, 2026

Obesity jabs curb appetite and make you feel fuller for longer, so you eat much less and shed weight.

From BBC • Jun. 8, 2026

The district’s planned expansion aims to provide access to affordable child care while building early loyalty with local families to help curb declining enrollment.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 8, 2026

Omnibuses hurtled down the street at alarming speed, and a line of hansom cabs waited at the curb.

From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood

Related Words

• constrain
• contain
• control
• hamper
• hinder
• impede
• inhibit
• restrain
• suppress
• tame