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Showing results for French curve. Search instead for area-under-curve.

French curve

American  
Or french curve

noun

  1. a flat drafting instrument, usually consisting of a sheet of clear plastic, the edges of which are cut into several scroll-like curves enabling a draftsperson to draw lines of varying curvature.

French curve British  

noun

  1. a thin plastic sheet with profiles of several curves, used by draughtsmen for drawing curves

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of French curve

First recorded in 1880–85

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

And no wonder: It�s a mouth-watering touch, which, in combination with the French curve at the after end of the window on each side of the house, captures the fancy of the toughest boat owner.

From Time Magazine Archive

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.