curly

American  

[kur-lee] / ˈkɜr li /

adjective

curlier, curliest

1. curling or tending to curl.

   curly blond hair.

2. having curls (usually used in combination).

   curlyheaded.

3. having a rippled or undulating appearance, as cut and finished wood.

   curly maple.

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curly British  

/ ˈkɜːlɪ /

adjective

1. tending to curl; curling

2. having curls

3. (of timber) having irregular curves or waves in the grain

4. difficult to counter or answer

   a curly question

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• curliness
  noun

Etymology

Origin of curly

First recorded in 1720–30; curl + -y ¹

Explanation

Something that's curly is wavy, coiled, or spiral-shaped. While you might envy your friend's straight, shiny hair, she may be equally envious of your wild, curly hair. You can add curly ribbons to a plain package to dress it up, or buy kale in different varieties, including one with curly leaves. You're most likely to use the adjective curly, however, to describe someone's hair, if it falls in ringlets. Curly comes from curl, which was originally crulle, probably from the Middle Dutch word krul, "curly."

Example Sentences

CURLY: Since my boyhood days I have never seen anything so great.

From The Vanishing Race by Dixon, Joseph Kossuth

Related Words

• coiled
• curled
• fuzzy
• kinky
• wavy