curb

American  

[kurb] / kɜrb /

noun

• curbs
  plural

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, 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

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

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• curbs
  plural

Participles

• curbing
  present
• curbed
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• curb
  simple
• curbs
  simple
• have curbed
  perfect
• has curbed
  perfect
• am curbing
  progressive
• are curbing
  progressive
• is curbing
  progressive
• have been curbing
  perfect progressive
• has been curbing
  perfect progressive

Past

• curbed
  simple
• had curbed
  perfect
• was curbing
  progressive
• were curbing
  progressive
• had been curbing
  perfect progressive

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

See Examples For:

curb curbs curbed curbing

Placing the narrative left turn so early into the film almost feels like a tactic to curb theatrical walkouts.

From Salon ● Oct. 5, 2026

A majority of nations have called for ambitious, legally binding measures to curb production of plastic, which is expected to triple by 2060.

From Barron's ● Oct. 1, 2026

Sarah Raffoul, analytics manager at Argus Media, noted that while higher international prices would eventually curb demand, the immediate gap would severely strain trade relationships and accelerate global inflation.

From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2026

The new stops designed to accommodate bikes and buses are about five inches off the ground and separated from the road by a curb.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026

Then pulls back out and onto the street and parks by the curb.

From "The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman" by Gennifer Choldenko

Meanwhile, tightening physical-market conditions are intensifying inflation risks and reviving debate over potential export curbs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026

But when residents later saw painted pavement markings showing the planned curbs and bike lines, “they got involved in a big way,” Supernaw said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026

In some cities with restrictions, rents and hotel prices have gone up, the letter added, noting that Lisbon recently overturned some of the curbs it had previously imposed.

From Barron's ● Sep. 9, 2026

Phil Kornbluth, founder of Kornbluth Helium Consulting, also noted that balloon makers are usually among the first to suffer from supply curbs.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 30, 2026

The girls stand at the curbs as cars cruise by.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides

Lula has also sharply curbed deforestation in the Amazon, but the environment has barely registered as a campaign issue.

From Barron's ● Oct. 4, 2026

His tenure saw sales initially soar, driven by pandemic restrictions that boosted online shopping, but subsequent cost-of-living pressures curbed customer spending.

From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026

According to Managing Director William Lees-Jones, rising costs have curbed hiring and prompted the company to favor experienced workers over those seeking their first foothold in the labor market.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026

That’s because the latest inflation reading for July, which saw the consumer price index rise a scant 0.1% for the month, matched Wall Street’s forecast and curbed some inflation anxiety on Wall Street.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 17, 2026

Mindful of being a teenaged upstart in the company of such seasoned track deities as Jesse Owens and Glenn Cunningham, Louie curbed his coltish impulses and began growing a mustache.

From "Unbroken" by Laura Hillenbrand

She now represents a central Austin district in the Texas House, where she’s worked on a wide set of education issues, from directing more tax dollars to neighborhood public schools to curbing standardized testing.

From Salon ● Oct. 1, 2026

There is no shortage of articles, books, and social content aimed at curbing what is framed as a lack of discipline, often with a focus on self-help or weight management.

From Slate ● Sep. 23, 2026

Australia will reduce migration by curbing "visa hopping", tightening rules on students and working holiday makers as well as cracking down on overstayers, its interior minister said Thursday, as the far-right surges in the polls.

From Barron's ● Sep. 17, 2026

With the blockade of Ukraine's sea ports curbing grain exports, he said Ukraine's GDP would contract by 1.5%.

From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026

The silky spills of ash against the curbing.

From "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy

Related Words

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