curlyadj.
/ˈkəːli/, U.S. /ˈkərli/ 1. Of hair: Disposed in curls or ringlets.
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the world > life > the body > hair > types of hair > [adjective] > curly
crispc900
crullc1300
curledc1380
crispy1398
crispedc1400
encrispedc1420
lockeredc1440
locker?a1500
curly1774
tendrilled1806
kinky1844
ruffly1859
buckling1861
peppercorn1868
1774 J. Cook Jrnl. 20 Aug. (1969) II. 503 It grows to a tolerable length and is very crisp and curly.
1818 H. J. Todd Johnson's Dict. Eng. Lang. Curly, inclining to curl; falling into ringlets.
1884 F. M. Crawford Rom. Singer (ed. 2) I. 47 Running his fingers through his curly hair.
2. Having or adorned with curls; having curled hair.
ΘΚΠ
the world > life > the body > hair > types of hair > [adjective] > curly > having
crispc900
crullc1300
curled1590
curl-headed1591
curl-pated1594
curled-head?1611
curled-pate?1611
curly1827
curly-headed1827
well-curled1833
curly-haired1846
curly-pated1862
1827 G. Higgins Celtic Druids 65 Budda with his flat black face and curly head.
1859 Disraeli in Hansard 3rd Ser. CLIV. 127 When we are juvenile and curly.
3.
a. Of a curled form; wavy, undulating; of plants, having curled leaves. curly maple (see curled adj. 3c).
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the world > the earth > water > flow or flowing > wave > [adjective] > full of
wawy1412
waving1552
wavous1581
wavy1593
fluctuous1599
billowyc1615
undosous1623
curly1796
the world > plants > part of plant > leaf > plant defined by leaves > [adjective] > having leaves of particular shape or size
broad-leaved1552
long-leaved1562
narrow-leaved1578
round-leaved1597
small-leaved1597
long-leafed1629
rosemary-leaved1633
rue-leaved1633
teretifolious1657
cut-leaved1731
longleaf1733
channel-leaved1758
halberd-shaped1770
alder-leaved1772
oak-leaved1776
holly-leaved1777
ivy-leaved1789
halberd-headed1795
daisy-leaved1796
narrow-leaf1804
oblique-leaved1807
sword-leaved1807
wing-leaved1822
flaggy1842
curly1845
macrophyllous1857
parvifolious1857
shield-leaved1860
curled1861
symphyllous1877
beak-leaved188.
stenophyllous1880
thread-leaved1884
megaphyllous1901
little leaf1908
ivy-leaf1909
the world > plants > particular plants > trees and shrubs > tree or shrub groups > maples > [noun]
maple treeOE
maplec1385
plane tree1562
great maple1597
sycamore-tree1597
sycamore1598
sugar-tree1705
sugar maple1731
red maple1767
scarlet maple1768
rock maple1774
white maple1774
silk wood1775
moosewood1778
mountain maple1785
box elder1787
acer1793
sycamore maple1796
mock plane1797
Montpellier maple1797
water maple1803
soft maple1806
sugar-wood1809
swamp maple1810
low maple1813
maple bush1821
Neapolitan maple1833
snake-bark1838
moose-maple1839
sap-tree1843
Manitoba maple1887
Japanese maple1898
curly maple1909
Queensland maple1915
paperbark maple1927
Amur maple1934
1796 R. Southey Joan of Arc viii. 304 So rolls the swelling sea Its curly billows.
1814 Ld. Byron Corsair iii. xviii. 88 The boats are darting o'er the curly bay.
1845 T. Hood Fairy Tale vii Cabbages and curly kale.
1909 G. Stratton-Porter Girl of Limberlost xi. 218 In an expressed crate was a fine curly-maple dressing table.
1942 C. Weygandt Plenty of Pennsylvania 29 Curly maple is hard to come by.
b. Cricket. Curling (see curl v.1 9a).
ΚΠ
1868 John Lillywhite's Cricketers' Compan. (ed. 24) 54 Mr. Jupp..played Southerton's ‘curly’ deliveries with consummate skill.
4. Of potatoes: Affected with curl n. 4.
ΘΚΠ
the world > plants > disease or injury > [adjective] > of or having fungal disease > of potato
curled1788
curly1791
1791 Trans. Soc. Arts 9 63 A curly crop of Potatoes.
Compounds
curly-brimmed, curly-coated, curly-haired, curly-headed, curly-pated, etc. adjs.; curly-pate n. a curly headed person.
ΘΚΠ
the world > life > the body > hair > types of hair > [adjective] > curly > having
crispc900
crullc1300
curled1590
curl-headed1591
curl-pated1594
curled-head?1611
curled-pate?1611
curly1827
curly-headed1827
well-curled1833
curly-haired1846
curly-pated1862
the world > life > the body > hair > types of hair > [noun] > curly > person having
curl-pate1605
curly-pate1869
the world > textiles and clothing > clothing > types or styles of clothing > headgear > [adjective] > hat > having a brim > other
narrow-brimmed1711
curly-brimmed1890
poke-brimmed1899
halo1934
1795 H. Summersett Fate of Sedley I. 59 A curly-poled nymph from Otaheite.
1827 G. Higgins Celtic Druids 162 The flat-faced, curly-headed Budda.
1846 C. Dickens Dombey & Son (1848) iv. 26 A..merry boy..fair-faced, bright-eyed, and curly-haired.
1862 Fraser's Mag. 4 Yellow curly-pated children.
1869 R. Browning Ring & Bk. III. viii. 90 Seven and one's eight, I hope, old curly-pate!
1885 Bazaar, Exchange & Mart 30 Mar. 1260/2 Jet black curly-coated retriever dog.
1890 A. Conan Doyle Firm of Girdlestone xviii. 142 Curly-brimmed hat.
1953 ‘N. Blake’ Dreadful Hollow 203 Both wore dark overcoats and those curly-brimmed Homburg hats.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1893; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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adj.1774