Dictionary.com

curdle

[ kur-dl ]
/ ˈkɜr dl /
Save This Word!
See synonyms for: curdle / curdled / curdling on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with or without object), cur·dled, cur·dling.
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.
QUIZ
THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?
Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.
Question 1 of 7
In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

Idioms about curdle

    curdle the / one's blood, to fill a person with horror or fear; terrify: a scream that curdled the blood.

Origin of curdle

First recorded in 1580–90; curd + -le

OTHER WORDS FROM curdle

curdler, nounnon·cur·dling, adjective, nounun·cur·dled, adjectiveun·cur·dling, adjective

Words nearby curdle

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use curdle in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for curdle

curdle
/ (ˈkɜːdəl) /

verb
to turn or cause to turn into curd
curdle someone's blood to fill someone with fear

Derived forms of curdle

curdler, noun

Word Origin for curdle

C16 (crudled, past participle): from curd
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
FEEDBACK