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

A dusk-to-dawn curfew was imposed in the capital after reports of violence and looting, including the torching of the finance ministry's offices.

From BBC

A state of emergency has been announced in eight of the country's 24 provinces, and a nighttime curfew in five of them.

From BBC

A dusk-to-dawn curfew was imposed in Antananarivo after reports of violence and looting, with police firing rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse the crowds.

From BBC

The Labour government is currently considering a two-hour cap on the use of individual social media apps for children, along with a 22:00 curfew.

From BBC

Some calm was restored when the army was deployed to take control of the situation - a curfew was in place for days.

From BBC

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.