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.  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

• 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

That, in turn, has helped curb inflation and support the global economy.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 22, 2026

In a statement announcing the move, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said the rule had prevented the Forest Service from carrying out vital management work that would curb wildfires.

From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026

Lula, who is running for another four-year term in elections scheduled for October, stressed that he was still committed to eventually phasing out fossil fuels to curb climate change.

From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026

One way to curb rumination is to stop talking about the problem.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 18, 2026

When it’s time for me to leave for school, I sit on the curb half a block away from the bus stop and the other kids.

From "A Soft Place to Land" by Janae Marks

So far, most of the world has responded to the unfolding crisis with a combination of demand curbs and pricier but workable alternatives to Middle East oil.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 20, 2026

But its access to credit dramatically narrowed when the government introduced curbs on excessive borrowing and speculation.

From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026

Despite a pause in most tariffs following talks in May 2025, Washington and Beijing have continued to exchange sanctions, including restrictions on humanoid robots shipped to the US and tighter Chinese curbs on drone exports.

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026

In addition to the anti-ball playing ordinance, the neighbors were accused of violating an ordinance prohibiting structures on sidewalks or grassy strips next to curbs.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026

She crossed streets kittycorner to save stepping off and on an extra pair of curbs.

From "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith

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

"UK curbed power exports to Europe" says the Financial Times, reporting that the National Energy System Operator restricted power exports to Britain's neighbours last month so as to preserve supplies during the recent heatwave.

From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026

Apollo, a Maine coon who died at 13 following a seizure a year after his arrival in 2015, had curbed the shop’s mouse problem and brought “so much love and energy.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026

Europe has curbed refined capacity over the past five to 10 years, and other regions of the world, such as Latin America, have underinvested in their refining capacity, Selesky said.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 15, 2026

The horseman’s tone and bearing nettled Taran, but he curbed his temper and bowed courteously.

From "The Black Cauldron" by Lloyd Alexander

The listing also marks a "turning point" for China's robotics industry, as Unitree's success comes even as the US is curbing imports of foreign-made robots, Pearson said.

From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026

At the same time, Norwegian pipeline maintenance is curbing supply, while a drone strike on Egypt’s Damietta LNG import terminal has reduced the country’s regasification capacity, tightening global LNG market conditions.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026

Lula is credited with restoring social programs dismantled by his predecessor, curbing the destruction of the Amazon rainforest, and putting Brazil's democracy back on a more secure footing.

From Barron's ● Aug. 2, 2026

South Korean regulators have also announced measures aimed at curbing this week's sell-off.

From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026

My preoccupation with curbing my impulses, my speech, my movements, my manner, my expressions had increased my anxiety.

From "Black Boy" by Richard Wright

Related Words

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