Link Centre Dictionary

curve

US/kɜːv/ fairly common informal slang
noun (5) verb (5)

noun

1.

the trace of a point whose direction of motion changes

Synonyms
Antonyms
2.

a line on a graph representing data

3.

a baseball thrown with spin so that its path curves as it approach the batter

Synonyms
4.

the property possessed by the curving of a line or surface

Synonyms
5.

curved segment (of a road or river or railroad track etc.)

Synonyms

verb

1.

turn sharply; change direction abruptly

  • “The car cut to the left at the intersection”
  • “The motorbike veered to the right”
Synonyms
2.

extend in curves and turns

  • “The road winds around the lake”
  • “the path twisted through the forest”
Synonyms
3.

form an arch or curve

  • “her back arches”
  • “her hips curve nicely”
Synonyms
4.

bend or cause to bend

  • “He crooked his index finger”
  • “the road curved sharply”
Synonyms
5.

form a curl, curve, or kink

  • “the cigar smoke curled up at the ceiling”
Synonyms

Origin

Attested since the 1690s, from Latin curvus (“bent, curved”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker- (“to bend, curve, turn”) + *-wós. Doublet of curb, shrink, carcer, and cancer.

Phrases

  • above the curve terms derived from curve (noun)
  • ahead of the curve terms derived from curve (noun)
  • algebraic curve terms derived from curve (noun)
  • Allen curve terms derived from curve (noun)
  • bathtub curve terms derived from curve (noun)
  • battleship curve terms derived from curve (noun)
  • battleship-shaped curve terms derived from curve (noun)
  • bean curve terms derived from curve (noun)

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

Narrower terms

Parts

Entails

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.