curtail

[ker-teyl]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR curtail ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object)

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

Origin of curtail

1425–75; late Middle English curtailen to restrict (said of royal succession or inheritance), probably a conflation of Middle French courtau(l)d (see curtal) and Middle English taillen to cut (see taille, tailor¹)

Related formscur·tailed·ly, adverbcur·tail·er, nouncur·tail·ment, nounnon·cur·tail·ing, adjectivenon·cur·tail·ment, nounun·cur·tailed, adjective

Synonyms for curtail

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR curtail ON THESAURUS.COM

lessen, dock. See shorten.

curtail

[kur-teyl]

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

probably alteration, by folk etymology, of curtal

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for curtail

trim, halt, reduce, shorten, downsize, decrease, slash, lessen, diminish, cramp, cut, clip, truncate, retrench, contract, chop, dock, lop, abbreviate, minify

Examples from the Web for curtail

Contemporary Examples of curtail

Rail at the bigots in Washington on TV seeking to curtail equality?
Dear John, It Gets Better: A Letter to Travolta
Tim Teeman
July 24, 2014
With the World Cup fast approaching, Brazil is attempting to curtail its controversial soccer fan clubs.
The Daily Beast’s Best Longreads, May 31, 2014
May 31, 2014
But it is also time to curtail the demand for ivory in Asia.
The Curse of CAR: Warlords, Blood Diamonds, and Dead Elephants
Christopher Day
May 25, 2014
The promises of benefit are false, and government action to curtail this kind of fraud is long overdue.
FDA Moves to Crack Down on Quack Autism ‘Cures’
Russell Saunders
April 29, 2014
Bill de Blasio successfully campaigned for mayor on the promise to curtail it.
My Patrol With the NYPD’s Bill Bratton
Michael Daly
March 14, 2014

Historical Examples of curtail

I would not wish for a moment to curtail the holy rights of wimmen.
Samantha Among the Brethren, Part 5.
Josiah Allen's Wife (Marietta Holley)
To curtail the activities in one is not necessarily a favor to the other.
Herbert Hoover
Vernon Kellogg
We have lost five days here, and I shall be compelled to curtail my journey.
A Mating in the Wilds
Ottwell Binns
And you will forgive me, I am sure, if I curtail our interview.
Strictly Business
O. Henry
I have no wish, even if I had the right, to curtail your freedom.
Lover or Friend
Rosa Nouchette Carey

British Dictionary definitions for curtail

curtail

verb

(tr) to cut short; abridge

Derived Formscurtailer, nouncurtailment, noun

Word 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

Word Origin and History for curtail

late 15c., from Middle French courtault "made short," from court "short" (Old French cort, from Latin curtus; see curt) + -ault pejorative suffix of Germanic origin. Originally curtal; used of horses with docked tails, which probably influenced the spelling. Related: Curtailed; curtailing.