curtsy
or curt·sey
[ kurt-see ]
/ ˈkɜrt si /
Save This Word!
noun, plural curt·sies.
a respectful bow made by women and girls, consisting of bending the knees and lowering the body.
verb (used without object), curt·sied, curt·sy·ing.
to make a curtsy.
QUIZ
GOOSES. GEESES. I WANT THIS QUIZ ON PLURAL NOUNS!
Test how much you really know about regular and irregular plural nouns with this quiz.
Question 1 of 9
Which of the following nouns has an irregular plural form?
Origin of curtsy
First recorded in 1520–30; variant of courtesy
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
How to use curtsy in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for curtsy
curtsy
curtsey
/ (ˈkɜːtsɪ) /
noun plural -sies or -seys
a formal gesture of greeting and respect made by women in which the knees are bent, the head slightly bowed, and the skirt held outwards
verb -sies, -sying, -sied, -seys, -seying or -seyed
(intr) to make a curtsy
Word Origin for curtsy
C16: variant of courtesy
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