cur

[ kur ]

/ kɜr /

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See synonyms for cur on Thesaurus.com

noun

a mongrel dog, especially a worthless or unfriendly one.

a mean, cowardly person.

OTHER WORDS FOR cur

2 blackguard, cad, heel.

See synonyms for cur on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

SHALL WE PLAY A "SHALL" VS. "SHOULD" CHALLENGE?

Should you take this quiz on “shall” versus “should”? It should prove to be a quick challenge!

Question 1 of 6

Which form is used to state an obligation or duty someone has?

shall

should

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Origin of cur

1175–1225; Middle English curre, apparently shortened from curdogge.See cur dog

OTHER WORDS FROM cur

curlike, adjective

Words nearby cur

cupulate, cupule, cupuliform cataract, cupulogram, cupulometry, cur, curable, Curaçao, curacy, Cur. adv. vult, curagh

Other definitions for cur (2 of 2)

cur.

abbreviation

currency.

current.

How to use cur in a sentence

Not exactly, except that I heard my stepfather denounce the doctor as an infernal cur and blackguard.
The Doctor of Pimlico|William Le Queux
He never resented alleged satire—perhaps he couldn't see it—and therefore he got the name of being a cur.
Over the Sliprails|Henry Lawson
Within this deep shadow, Virtue is slaughtered and Genius treated like an unwelcome cur.
Comrade Kropotkin|Victor Robinson
"I guess that's the best rabbit dog anywhere around here," he said, as a flea-bitten cur trotted past.
A Yankee from the West|Opie Read

Red Ben went back on us, may the fiends take the redskin cur!
Frank Merriwell's Pursuit|Burt L. Standish

British Dictionary definitions for cur

cur

/ (kɜː) /

noun

any vicious dog, esp a mongrel

a despicable or cowardly person

Word Origin for cur

C13: shortened from kurdogge; probably related to Old Norse kurra to growl

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