French curve

Or french curve

noun

1. a flat drafting instrument, usually consisting of a sheet of clear plastic, the edges of which are cut into several scroll-like curves enabling a draftsperson to draw lines of varying curvature.

French curve

noun

1. a thin plastic sheet with profiles of several curves, used by draughtsmen for drawing curves

Word History and Origins

Origin of French curve¹

First recorded in 1880–85

Example Sentences

As she hands out mini French curve templates she's made out of paper, Freitas swipes down on his cellphone screen with his thumb.

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We had to use a French curve, a kind of plastic rule in different shapes that gave you a smooth curve when you plotted data on a graph.”

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Here is a lingering devotion to the French curve, chimney caps, arching window lintels and rectangular bays.

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Five pieces of white vellum were tacked neatly to a whiteboard on the wall; swooping arcs made with pen, Wite-Out, scissors, and a French curve—biomorphs, as Heizer called them, which inspired the shapes of some of his canvases.

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Peterson uses “freehand shields,” similar to a french curve, to paint hard, clean lines.

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