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curl up
verb
(intr) to adopt a reclining position with the legs close to the body and the back rounded
to become or cause to become spiral-shaped or curved
(intr) to retire to a quiet cosy setting
to curl up with a good novel
informal, to be or cause to be embarrassed or disgusted (esp in the phrase curl up and die )
Idioms and Phrases
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]
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]
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.
Example Sentences
Less than a day after an exhausting six-and-a-half hour, 18-inning victory over the Toronto Blue Jays, the Dodgers curled up in the corner with a cold washcloth while the Jays smothered them with it.
After a long day, I find myself wishing I could curl up with French onion soup or tuck into a perfectly pink steak frites.
On a cold September morning, Jamie Smart discovered an orb-weaver spider curled up inside its silken hideaway.
In either case, it’s hard to make out what’s going on or even which man has the advantage, as the combatants frequently curl up into a single lump of flesh.
This can lead to "starballing" where starfish curl up to float with the current which can make them vulnerable to beach strandings.
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