curtail
1[ ker-teyl ]
/ kərˈteɪl /
Save This Word!
verb (used with object)
QUIZZES
QUIZ YOURSELF ON AFFECT VS. EFFECT!
In effect, this quiz will prove whether or not you have the skills to know the difference between “affect” and “effect.”
Question 1 of 7
The rainy weather could not ________ my elated spirits on my graduation day.
Origin of curtail
1synonym study for curtail
See shorten.
OTHER WORDS FROM curtail
Words nearby curtail
cursor, cursorial, cursory, curst, curt, curtail, curtailment, curtail step, curtain, curtain call, curtain lecture
Definition for curtail (2 of 2)
curtail2
[ kur-teyl ]
/ ˈkɜrˌteɪl /
noun Architecture.
a horizontal, spiral termination to the lower end of a stair railing.
Also called curtail step . a starting step having a scroll termination to one or both ends of the tread.
Origin of curtail
2Probably alteration, by folk etymology, of curtal
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for curtail
“Affect” vs. “Effect”: Use The Correct Word Every Time
Why Do “Left” And “Right” Mean Liberal And Conservative?
What Is The Difference Between “It’s” And “Its”?
Where Did African American Vernacular English Come From?
What Is “GOP” Short For?
“Vaccinate” vs. “Inoculate” vs. “Immunize”: What Are The Differences?
British Dictionary definitions for curtail
curtail
/ (kɜːˈteɪl) /
verb
(tr) to cut short; abridge
Derived forms of curtail
curtailer, nouncurtailment, nounWord Origin for curtail
C16: changed (through influence of tail 1) from obsolete curtal to dock; see curtal
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012