curtail¹

[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 curtail¹

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

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lessen, dock. See shorten.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for curtailed

Contemporary Examples

Was it a mistake to veto the bill that would have curtailed such furloughs?
Want President Hillary? Then Primary Her
Jeff Greenfield
November 24, 2014
But the open policy was then curtailed again when border controls tightened significantly following 9/11.
Ellis Island’s Doubled-Edged Legacy
J.P. O’Malley
May 25, 2014
In March 2012, Time reported that Israel had curtailed much of its covert activities in Iran.
Inside Israel’s Frenemy Diplomacy With Turkey
Eli Lake
October 21, 2013
Rumors spread from Foggy Bottom after the coup that arms shipments may be curtailed.
What’s Left of Obama’s Mideast Policy?
Marty Peretz
July 18, 2013
Second, whatever Hacked Off and the politicians may say, some legitimate journalism will now be curtailed.
Phone Hacking: The Scandal that Changed Everything for the British Press
David Frum
March 18, 2013

Historical Examples

We leave this list to be curtailed, or to be increased, at the pleasure of the reader.
The International Monthly, Volume 3, No. 2, May, 1851
Various
Their creed is not strengthened by its being vague and curtailed.
The Voyage Alone in the Yawl "Rob Roy"
John MacGregor
If this period is curtailed the temperature must be raised accordingly.
Outlines of Dairy Bacteriology, 8th edition
H. L. Russell
I fear our short rations for man and horse will have to be curtailed.
Recollections and Letters of General Robert E. Lee
(His Son) Captain Robert E. Lee
It was itself printed from a copy which had been curtailed for acting purposes.
A Life of William Shakespeare
Sidney Lee

British Dictionary definitions for curtailed

curtail

verb

(tr) to cut short; abridge

Derived Formscurtailer, nouncurtailment, noun

Word Origin

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 curtailed

curtail

v.

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.

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Synonyms

Related Words

Examples from the Web for curtailed

Contemporary Examples

Was it a mistake to veto the bill that would have curtailed such furloughs?

But the open policy was then curtailed again when border controls tightened significantly following 9/11.

In March 2012, Time reported that Israel had curtailed much of its covert activities in Iran.

Rumors spread from Foggy Bottom after the coup that arms shipments may be curtailed.

Second, whatever Hacked Off and the politicians may say, some legitimate journalism will now be curtailed.

Historical Examples

We leave this list to be curtailed, or to be increased, at the pleasure of the reader.

Their creed is not strengthened by its being vague and curtailed.

If this period is curtailed the temperature must be raised accordingly.

I fear our short rations for man and horse will have to be curtailed.

It was itself printed from a copy which had been curtailed for acting purposes.

curtail

Word Origin

Word Origin and History for curtailed

curtail

v.

curtail¹

Origin of curtail¹