cur

¹ American  

[kur] / kɜr /

noun

1. a mongrel dog, especially a worthless or unfriendly one.

2. a mean, cowardly person.

   Synonyms:

   heel, cad, blackguard

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cur. ² American  

abbreviation

1. currency.

2. current.

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cur British  

/ kɜː /

noun

1. any vicious dog, esp a mongrel

2. a despicable or cowardly person

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Other Word Forms

• curlike adjective

Etymology

Origin of cur

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

Explanation

A cur is a dog that isn't very good — or is a mixed breed. If dogs understood English, they would be offended at being called a cur. When you use the word cur, you're talking about a dog that's either a mutt, very unattractive, aggressive, or all three. The word can also be used as an insult for a person, especially a despicable man. In Old English, the word cur was originally cur-dog, which sometimes was used to describe any dog — good, bad, pedigreed or part Shepherd, part Collie, part whatever.

Example Sentences

“The black mouth cur is the best dog out there,” said Payne.

From Washington Times • Feb. 26, 2018

Young women would boast about being chatted up by the old cur at the local deli.

From Slate • Nov. 11, 2016

Our Hei-Hei — a Pekingese cross, we believe — looks quite the cur in such well-bred circles.

From Time • Jun. 15, 2016

An indignant Whitlam branded Fraser "Kerr's cur," and urged voters to "maintain the rage" at the ballot box.

From New York Times • Mar. 19, 2015

At once Gollum got up and began prancing about, like a whipped cur whose master has patted it.

From "The Two Towers" by J. R. R. Tolkien