curbing

[kur-bing]

See more synonyms for curbing on Thesaurus.com

noun

the material forming a curb, as along a street.
curbstones collectively.
a curb or a section of a curb.

Also British, kerb·ing.

Origin of curbing

First recorded in 1585–95; curb + -ing¹

curb

[kurb]

noun

Also British, kerb. a rim, especially of joined stones or concrete, along a street or roadway, forming an edge for a sidewalk.
anything that restrains or controls; a restraint; check.
an enclosing framework or border.
Also called curb bit. a bit used with a bridoon for control of a horse, to which a chain (curb chain) is hooked.
Also called curb market; British, kerb market, kerbstone market. a market, originally on the sidewalk or street, for the sale of securities not listed on a stock exchange.Compare American Stock Exchange.
the framework around the top of a well.
the arris between an upper and a lower slope on a gambrel or mansard roof.
a belt of metal, masonry, etc., for abutting a dome at its base.
(in a windmill) the track on which the cap turns.
Veterinary Pathology. a swelling on the lower part of the back of the hock of a horse, often causing lameness.
Engineering. the cutting edge at the bottom of a caisson.
Carpentry. purlin plate.

verb (used with object)

to control as with a curb; restrain; check.
to cause to keep near the curb: Curb your dog.
Also British, kerb. to furnish with or protect by a curb.
to put a curb on (a horse).

Origin of curb

1250–1300; Middle English curb, courbe curved piece of wood (noun), stooped, hunchbacked (adj.) < Anglo-French curb, courb curved, bowed; Old French < Latin curvus crooked, bent, curved. See curve

Related formscurb·a·ble, adjectivecurb·less, adjectivecurb·like, adjectiveun·curb, verb (used with object)un·curb·a·ble, adjectiveun·curbed, adjective

Can be confusedcurb kerb

Synonyms for curb

See more synonyms for on Thesaurus.com

13. bridle, repress.

Synonym study

13. See check¹.

Antonyms for curb

13. encourage.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for curbing

control, hinder, inhibit, suppress, tame, impede, contain, restrain, constrain, hamper, clog, fetter, subdue, cook, abstain, check, muzzle, manacle, leash, ice

Examples from the Web for curbing

Contemporary Examples of curbing

Perhaps the threat of legal action has also played a role in curbing the horde of dyspeptic deviants.
‘The Fappening’ Is Dead: From A-List Hacking Victims to D-Listers Accused of Leaking Nudes For PR
Marlow Stern
October 18, 2014
This can change—but by curbing tuition inflation, not by extending more loans.
The Way to Tackle College Debt Is to Take on Tuition Inflation
Kristen Soltis Anderson
May 23, 2014
This is not the work of a person interested in “curbing spending,” as Lew argues.
Dirty Debt, Done Dirt Cheap
Nick Gillespie
October 9, 2013
This is a smart move, and will be far more important to curbing unauthorized immigration than token efforts at border security.
What You Need to Know About the Gang of Eight's Immigration Reform Deal
Justin Green
April 16, 2013
The challenges in the longer term are to raise revenue while curbing the cost of health.
The Urgency of Growth
Justin Green
January 28, 2013

Historical Examples of curbing

She stopped him with a shudder, and Eric found a difficulty in curbing his impatience.
The Education of Eric Lane
Stephen McKenna
The driver advanced at a walk, keeping as close as possible to the curbing.
The Web of the Golden Spider
Frederick Orin Bartlett
A quickening of his pace, and he met her just as she stepped to the curbing.
The Cross-Cut
Courtney Ryley Cooper
The group now sat down on the curbing, while the Negro walked away.
The Hindered Hand
Sutton E. Griggs
Other questions could be postponed; the question of curbing the king could not.
The Critical Period of American History
John Fiske

British Dictionary definitions for curbing

curbing

noun

the US spelling of kerbing

curb

noun

something that restrains or holds back
any enclosing framework, such as a wall of stones around the top of a well
1. Also called: curb bita horse's bit with an attached chain or strap, which checks the horse
2. Also called: curb chainthe chain or strap itself
a hard swelling on the hock of a horse

verb (tr)

to control with or as if with a curb; restrain

Word Origin for curb

C15: from Old French courbe curved piece of wood or metal, from Latin curvus curved

curb

noun

vet science a swelling on the leg of a horse, below the point of the hock, usually caused by a sprain

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

Word Origin and History for curbing

curb

1520s, of horses, "to lead to a curb," from curb (n.). Figurative use from 1580s. Related: Curbed; curbing.

curb

late 15c., "strap passing under the jaw of a horse" (used to restrain the animal), from Old French courbe (12c.) "curb on a horse," from Latin curvus, from curvare "to bend" (see curve (v.)). Meaning "enclosed framework" is from 1510s, probably originally with a notion of "curved;" extended to margins of garden beds 1731; to "margin of stone between a sidewalk and road" 1791 (sometimes spelled kerb). Figurative sense of "a check, a restraint" is from 1610s.