curtail

¹

[ker-teyl]

verb (used with object)

1. to cut short; cut off a part of; abridge; reduce; diminish.

   Synonyms: dock, lessen

curtail

²

[kur-teyl]

noun

Architecture.

1. a horizontal, spiral termination to the lower end of a stair railing.

2. Also called curtail step. a starting step having a scroll termination to one or both ends of the tread.

curtail

/ kɜːˈteɪl /

verb

1. (tr) to cut short; abridge

Other Word Forms

• curtailedly adverb
• curtailer noun
• curtailment noun
• noncurtailing adjective
• uncurtailed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of curtail¹

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English curtailen “to restrict” (said of royal succession or inheritance), probably a conflation of Middle French courtau(l)d ( curtal ) and Middle English taillen “to cut” ( taille, tailor ¹ )

Origin of curtail²

Probably alteration, by folk etymology, of curtal

Word History and Origins

Origin of curtail¹

C16: changed (through influence of _tail ¹ ) from obsolete curtal to dock; see _curtal

Synonym Study

See shorten.

Example Sentences

Hiring has slowed sharply since the spring, hurt by ongoing fights over U.S. tariffs and a crackdown on immigration that curtailed the supply of labor.

Read more on MarketWatch

Rising borrowing costs and competitive pressure from fintechs like Affirm as well as the broader banking sector, where Klarna aims to establish a foothold, have curtailed investor appetite.

Read more on Barron's

Switzerland's economy contracted in the third quarter of the year, suffering from high US tariffs which abruptly curtailed exports across the Atlantic, the economy ministry said on Monday.

Read more on Barron's

Much talk in the Australian media has centred on Root's lack of a Test century in this country and his preparations were curtailed when he hooked Matthew Potts to mid-wicket for one.

Read more on BBC

But low prices that year led producers to curtail output and power generators to favor natural gas, and by the end of the 2024 injection season the surplus was down to around 5%.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• cut back 
• decrease 
• diminish 
• downsize 
• halt 
• lessen 
• reduce 
• shorten 
• slash 
• trim