curfew

[kur-fyoo]

noun

1. an order establishing a specific time in the evening after which certain regulations apply, especially that no civilians or other specified group of unauthorized persons may be outdoors or that places of public assembly must be closed.

2. a regulation requiring a person to be home at a certain prescribed time, as imposed by a parent on a child.

3. the time at which a daily curfew starts.

4. the period during which a curfew is in effect.

5. a signal, usually made with a bell, announcing the start of the time of restrictions under a curfew.

6. a bell for sounding a curfew.

7. (in medieval Europe) the ringing of a bell at a fixed hour in the evening as a signal for covering or extinguishing fires.

8. a metal cover for shielding a banked or unattended fire.

curfew

/ ˈkɜːfjuː /

noun

1. an official regulation setting restrictions on movement, esp after a specific time at night

2. the time set as a deadline by such a regulation

3. 1. the ringing of a bell to prompt people to extinguish fires and lights

   2. the time at which the curfew bell was rung

   3. the bell itself

Word History and Origins

Origin of curfew¹

1250–1300; Middle English < Anglo-French coverfeu, Old French covrefeu literally, (it) covers (the) fire. See cover, focus

Word History and Origins

Origin of curfew¹

C13: from Old French cuevrefeu, literally: cover the fire

Example Sentences

In September, a French parliamentary enquiry recommended banning under-15s from social media, as well as a social media "curfew" for 15- to 18-year-olds.

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Fraser, of Beckton, east London, pleaded guilty to one count of burglary and may be eligible for immediate release due to time spent on electronic curfew.

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He was also sentenced to a three-month curfew and ordered to be electronically monitored, complete an extended driving test after two years and undertake 30 days of rehabilitation.

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Today's calm was won with harsh curfews and widespread checkpoints during the worst of the crisis -- and, rights groups say, mass arrests and extra judicial killings.

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In addition to the record numbers inside Scotland's jails, the SPS said that more than 120 people on custodial sentences had recently been managed in the community through home detention curfews.

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Related Words

• time limit 

When To Use

What does curfew mean?

A curfew is a specific time of day at which, by rule, you must be at home. It can also refer to the rule itself, or the period during which you must stay home.The word is typically used in two main ways: the curfew set by parents for their children, and the kind of curfew ordered by the government to limit public assembly after a certain time of night, especially during times of war or civil unrest.Parental curfews typically require the person under curfew to be home by a certain time at night.Government curfews generally require the same thing, but often have other conditions. Usually, civilians aren’t allowed outside after the stated time and must stay in their homes until the curfew is over. Such curfews are typically enforced by police or the military, and those who violate the curfew can be subject to consequences like fines or jail time.Government curfews are usually ordered to prevent large gatherings of people, such as those protesting, often with the stated intention of preventing violence or destruction of property. However, such curfews are sometimes criticized for violating the rights of citizens to peacefully assemble.Examples:

• If I’m not home by curfew, my parents are going to ground me for a month.



• After another night of protests, the mayor has ordered a citywide curfew starting at 6 p.m.