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curtsy

[kurt-see]

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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. 2019

Related Words for curtsy

obeisance, bow, bob, dip, gesture, curtsey

Examples from the Web for curtsy

Historical Examples of curtsy

"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 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

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.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper