curtal
Americanadjective
-
Archaic. wearing a short frock.
a curtal friar.
-
Obsolete. brief; curtailed.
noun
-
a 16th-century bassoon.
-
Obsolete. an animal with a docked tail.
adjective
-
cut short
-
(of friars) wearing a short frock
noun
-
an animal whose tail has been docked
-
something that is cut short
Etymology
Origin of curtal
1500–10; earlier courtault < Middle French, equivalent to court short ( see curt) + -ault, variant of -ald noun suffix; see ribald
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Tinselled fantasy is shrewdly banished; putty-coloured, sullen fairies slouch along to the hoots and rustles, sackbut and curtal of Claire van Kampen's eerie music.
From The Guardian • Jun. 8, 2013
A boon, a boon, thou curtal friar, I beg it on my knee; Give me leave to set my horn to my mouth, And to blow blasts three.
From The Book of Brave Old Ballads by Gilbert, John, Sir
Hold thy hand, good fellow, said the curtal friar, Thy master and I will agree; And we will have new orders taken, With all haste that may be.
From The Book of Brave Old Ballads by Gilbert, John, Sir
Did not Tom Tankard rake his curtal t'o'er day standing in the stable?
From Gammer Gurton's Needle by Art, Mr. S. Mr. of
Consider what a poor curtal we have made of Ocean.
From The Complete Poetical Works of James Russell Lowell by Lowell, James Russell
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
