curl up

British  

verb

1. (intr) to adopt a reclining position with the legs close to the body and the back rounded

2. to become or cause to become spiral-shaped or curved

3. (intr) to retire to a quiet cosy setting

   to curl up with a good novel

4. informal to be or cause to be embarrassed or disgusted (esp in the phrase curl up and die )

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curl up Idioms  

1. Assume a position with the legs drawn up; settle down for sleep in this posture. For example, I love to curl up with a good book . [c. 1900]

2. curl up and die . Retreat, collapse, die, as in At first the horse was ahead but in the home stretch she curled up and died , or I'll just curl up and die if he shows up . This colorful expression for collapsing or dying is often used hyperbolically (second example). [Early 1900s]

3. curl someone up . Kill someone, as in The sheriff said he'd curl up that outlaw . This usage originated as cowboy slang in the second half of the 1800s.

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Example Sentences

I looked over at Baby Joe, curled up on his mat, remembering the earnest look in his eyes that had reminded me my life mattered.

From Literature

In the living room, Steph is curled up on the couch with a blanket over her lap.

From Literature

“I remember seeing Harry Glicken curled up in a dark corner at the Vancouver headquarters,” said Brugman who was still staffing the phones late that day.

From Literature

She curled up her knees; she looked very small.

From Literature

She settles on half belly, half thigh and curls up with her head on my chest.

From Literature

Related Words

• cluster
• confer
• consult
• converge
• crouch
• cuddle
• gather
• snuggle