curtsy

[kurt-see]

See more synonyms for curtsy on Thesaurus.com

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.

Origin of curtsy

First recorded in 1520–30; variant of courtesy

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

Examples from the Web for curtsy

Historical Examples

"My name is Merle Uthoug," said the dark one, with a curtsy.
The Great Hunger
Johan Bojer
The little girl took it smilingly, made me a curtsy, and went on.
The Memoires of Casanova, Complete
Jacques Casanova de Seingalt
The "all-highest Lord" looks daggers at me—I curtsy and smile!
Secret Memoirs: The Story of Louise, Crown Princess
Henry W. Fischer
There was a tremble in her voice as she slipped from the davenport and bobbed a curtsy.
Mary Rose of Mifflin
Frances R. Sterrett
"I shall in all things serve your Grace," said she, with a curtsy.
Little Novels of Italy
Maurice Henry Hewlett

British Dictionary definitions for curtsy

curtsy

curtsey

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

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

Word Origin and History for curtsy

n.

1540s, "expression of respect," a variant of courtesy (q.v.). Specific meaning "a bending the knee and lowering the body as a gesture of respect" is from 1570s. Originally not exclusively feminine.

v.

1550s, from curtsy (n.). Related: Curtsied; curtsying.

curtsy

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}curtsy

Examples from the Web for curtsy

Historical Examples

"My name is Merle Uthoug," said the dark one, with a curtsy.

The little girl took it smilingly, made me a curtsy, and went on.

The "all-highest Lord" looks daggers at me—I curtsy and smile!

There was a tremble in her voice as she slipped from the davenport and bobbed a curtsy.

"I shall in all things serve your Grace," said she, with a curtsy.

curtsy

curtsey

Word Origin

Word Origin and History for curtsy

n.

v.

Origin of curtsy