curdle
- to change into curd; coagulate; congeal.
- to spoil; turn sour.
- to go wrong; turn bad or fail: Their friendship began to curdle as soon as they became business rivals.
- curdle the/one's blood, to fill a person with horror or fear; terrify: a scream that curdled the blood.
Origin of curdle
Related Words for curdle
thicken, acerbate, condense, clot, turn, spoil, ferment, congeal, coagulate, acidulate, acidify, clabber, curdExamples from the Web for curdle
Contemporary Examples of curdle
No matter what the subject, he came up with a sound bite that could curdle milk.
And though topical humor tends to be transitory, a really bad gag can take on a life of its own and curdle a political career.
Historical Examples of curdle
Do not let it actually boil, as that will cause the blood to curdle.
Directions for Cookery, in its Various BranchesEliza Leslie
Set it on a gentle fire, and stir it that it may not curdle.
The Lady's Own Cookery Book, and New Dinner-Table Directory;Charlotte Campbell Bury
Stir again over the fire to cook the eggs, but take care they do not curdle.
The Skilful CookMary Harrison
Cream is liable to curdle, and turn to butter, if beaten in too warm a temperature.
The Skilful CookMary Harrison
Then add the yolks of the eggs; let them thicken in the sauce, but be careful not to curdle them.
The Skilful CookMary Harrison
curdle
- to turn or cause to turn into curd
- curdle someone's blood to fill someone with fear
Word Origin for curdle
Word Origin and History for curdle
1630s (earlier crudle, 1580s), "to thicken, cause to congeal," frequentative of curd (v.) "to make into curd" (late 14c.; see curd). Of blood, in figurative sense "to inspire horror" from c.1600. Related: Curdled (1590); curdling (c.1700, almost always with reference to blood, in the figurative sense).