curl

American  

[kurl] / kɜrl /

verb (used with object)

1. to form into coils or ringlets, as the hair.

2. to form into a spiral or curved shape; coil.

3. to adorn with, or as with, curls or ringlets.

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verb (used without object)

1. to grow in or form curls or ringlets, as the hair.

2. to become curved or undulated.

3. to coil.

4. to play at the game of curling.

5. to progress in a curving direction or path; move in a curving or spiraling way.

   The ball curled toward the plate.

noun

1. a coil or ringlet of hair.

2. anything of a spiral or curved shape, as a lettuce leaf, wood shaving, etc.

3. a coil.

4. the act of curling or state of being curled.

5. Plant Pathology.

   1. the distortion, fluting, or puffing of a leaf, resulting from the unequal development of its two sides.

   2. a disease so characterized.

6. Also called rotation.  Mathematics.

   1. a vector obtained from a given vector by taking its cross product with the vector whose coordinates are the partial derivative operators with respect to each coordinate.

   2. the operation that produces this vector.

7. Weightlifting.

   1. an underhand forearm lift in which the barbell, held against the thighs, is raised to the chest and then lowered while keeping the legs, upper arms, and shoulders taut.

   2. a similar forearm lift using a dumbbell or dumbbells, usually from the side of the body to the shoulders.

verb phrase

1. curl up to sit or lie down cozily.

   to curl up with a good book.

idioms

1. curl one's lip, to assume or display an expression of contempt.

   He curled his lip in disdain.

2. curl one's / the hair, to fill with horror or fright; shock.

   Some of his stories about sailing across the Atlantic are enough to curl one's hair.

curl British  

/ kɜːl /

verb

1. (intr) (esp of hair) to grow into curves or ringlets

2. to twist or roll (something, esp hair) into coils or ringlets

3. (often foll by up) to become or cause to become spiral-shaped or curved; coil

   the heat made the leaves curl up

4. (intr) to move in a curving or twisting manner

5. (intr) to play the game of curling

6. to show contempt, as by raising a corner of the lip

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noun

1. a curve or coil of hair

2. a curved or spiral shape or mark, as in wood

3. the act of curling or state of being curled

4. any of various plant diseases characterized by curling of the leaves

5. Also called: rot.   rotation.  maths a vector quantity associated with a vector field that is the vector product of the operator ∇ and a vector function A , where ∇ = i ∂/∂ x + j ∂/∂b y + k ∂/∂ z, i , j , and k being unit vectors. Usually written curl A , rot A Compare divergence gradient

Other Word Forms

• curledly adverb
• curledness noun
• intercurl verb
• undercurl noun
• well-curled adjective

Etymology

Origin of curl

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, apparently back formation from curled, variant of Middle English crulled (past participle) crul (adjective); compare Middle Dutch crullen “to curl”; cruller ”

Example Sentences

On his first attacking raid, Lacey cut in from the right wing as he likes to do and curled a beautiful effort at the home goal, which crashed off the bar.

From BBC

Soboroff is a boyish 42, with a mop of dark curls and round specs, equally comfortable in the field and at the anchor desk.

From Los Angeles Times

From standing bicep curls to seated crunches, my motions were tracked inside a yellow box on screen.

From The Wall Street Journal

The champions were largely outplayed by their city rivals and Garcia kept them afloat in the derby clash against his former side before substitute Olmo curled home in the 86th minute.

From Barron's

Villa caused Arsenal all manner of problems on the break, yet couldn't make it count as Watkins curled wide at the end of another rapid raid.

From Barron's

Related Words

• buckle
• coil
• contort
• curve
• fold
• twirl
• twist
• writhe