definitions

curtsy

[ kurt-see ]
/ ˈkɜrt si /
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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.

RELATED WORDS

obeisance, bow, bob, dip, gesture, curtsey

Nearby words

curtis, george ticknor, curtiss, curtiss, glenn hammond, curtius, curtsey, curtsy, curule, curule chair, curvaceous, curvaceously, curvature

Origin of curtsy

First recorded in 1520–30; variant of courtesy
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for curtsy

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