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curtsy

or curt·sey

[ kurt-see ]
/ ˈkɜrt si /
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See synonyms for: curtsy / curtsied / curtsying 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.
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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
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