curl1 verbcurl2 noun
curlcurl1 /kɜːl $ kɜːrl/ ●●○ verb [intransitive, transitive] 
Word OriginWORD ORIGINcurl1
Verb TableOrigin:
1300-1400 crul ‘curly’ (1300-1400), probably from Middle DutchVERB TABLE
curl
| Simple Form | ||
| Present | I, you, we, they | curl |
| he, she, it | curls | |
| Past | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | curled |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have curled |
| he, she, it | has curled | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had curled |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will curl |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have curled |
| Continuous Form | ||
| Present | I | am curling |
| he, she, it | is curling | |
| you, we, they | are curling | |
| Past | I, he, she, it | was curling |
| you, we, they | were curling | |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have been curling |
| he, she, it | has been curling | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had been curling |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will be curling |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have been curling |
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
Thesaurus- I didn't have a chance to curl my hair this morning.
- I threw the letter into the fire. It curled, darkened, and then burst into flames.
- Penelope's fingers curled and uncurled nervously in her lap.
- The document was yellow and its edges had curled inward.
- Booze was soporific, the brain was programmed to zero, it curled up and slept.
- I curled up in a fetal position after the Elimination Ritual and waited for sleep to come.
- One of her feet curled over the top of the other one, and rubbed it affectionately.
- She curled up in a tight ball as though to stop herself from breaking apart.
- Thick, dark hair curled around his face and his rolled-up sleeves revealed strong, well-muscled arms.
- Touch it again, and it will curl up again, and then stretch out once more.
Longman Language Activatorwhen something bends► bend
Collocations · The branches of the tree bent over into the water.· I tried opening it with the knife but the blade bent.
► curl if a leaf or piece of cloth curls , it gradually bends, starting at its edges, especially as a result of heat or dryness: · I threw the letter into the fire. It curled, darkened, and then burst into flames.curl inward: · The document was yellow and its edges had curled inward.
► buckle if something strong and hard buckles , it bends in the middle, usually because of very strong pressure or great heat: · The aluminium chair buckled under Charles's weight.· Windows shattered with the heat from the blaze and metal doors buckled like cardboard.
► warp if something made of wood warps , it bends and twists slightly as a result of too much heat, dryness, age etc, so that it is no longer flat or straight: · The wooden fence had warped in the hot sun.· To prevent the violin body from warping, there is a strong wooden brace along its whole length.
to bend your body or part of your body► bend to move your body forwards or move it downwards, so that you can lift something, touch something etc: · He bent and kissed the child on the head.· The doctor says no bending or lifting for at least six weeks.bend across/towards: · She bent towards me and whispered in my ear.bend your arm/knee/finger etc: · "Bend your knees!'' shouted the ski instructor.
► bend over to bend your body from the waist, usually in order to pick something up: · Lenny bent over to pick up the coins.bend over something: · My earliest memories are of my mother bending over my cot to kiss me goodnight.
► bend down to bend your body low enough to pick something up, touch the floor etc: · Sheila bent down to pick up the cat.· He was bending down tying his shoelaces.
► bow to bend your head and upper body slightly, as a formal greeting or as a sign of respect or obedience: · Archer bowed and left the stage.· All the men turned and bowed as the Emperor passed.
► crouch to bend your legs under you, in a sitting position, and lean forwards, especially in order to hide from someone: · I crouched behind a bush as the soldiers marched by.· There were six people in the clearing, crouching around the campfire.crouch down: · The plumber crouched down and looked under the sink.
► stoop to bend down low, especially to pick something up and then stand up again: · There were two letters by the door. He stooped and picked them up.· She stooped and hugged the little dog.
► curl up to lie down and bend your legs, arms, back, and neck into a circular position, so that you feel warm and comfortable: · She curled up in her bed that night, thinking of Michel.· The two cats curled up together in the armchair.· I was so tired all I wanted to do was curl up and watch TV.
► double up/over to suddenly bend your body at the waist, especially because you are laughing or in pain: · We doubled over, laughing so hard it hurt.be doubled up/over with: · He was doubled up with cramps from the greasy stew.
WORD SETS► Shapes/Patternsarabesque, nounarc, nounarch, nounball, nounball, verbbar, nouncheck, nouncheckered, adjectivechevron, nouncoil, nounconical, adjectivecorrugated, adjectivecrescent, nouncrisscross, verbcrosswise, adverbcruciform, adjectivecube, nouncurl, verbcurl, nouncurvature, nouncurved, adjectivecurvy, adjectivecylinder, nouncylindrical, adjectivediagonal, adjectivediamond, noundisc, noundome, noundouble helix, nounellipse, nounelliptical, adjectivefloral, adjectiveformation, nounformless, adjectivegeometric, adjectiveglobe, nounglobular, adjectiveharlequin, adjectiveheart, nounhemisphere, nounheptagon, nounhexagon, nounhoneycomb, nounhooked, adjectivehump, noun-iform, suffixlattice, nounMaltese Cross, nounmoon, nounmottled, adjectiveoblong, adjectiveoctagon, nounoval, nounovoid, adjectiveparallelogram, nounpeak, nounpentagon, nounpentagram, nounperimeter, nounpointed, adjectivepyramid, nounquadrangle, nounquadrilateral, nounradial, adjectiverectangle, nounrectangular, adjectiverectilinear, adjectiveregular, adjectivereticulated, adjectiverhomboid, nounrhomboid, adjectiverhombus, nounroll, nounround, adjectiveround, nounround, verbrounded, adjectivesemicircle, nounsolid, nounspatial, adjectivesphere, nounspiral, nounspotted, adjectivesquare, adjectivesquared, adjectivestar, nounstripe, nounstriped, adjectivestripy, adjectivesymmetrical, adjectivesymmetry, nountabular, adjectivethree-cornered, adjectivethree-dimensional, adjectivetrapezium, nountrapezoid, nountrefoil, nountriangle, nountriangular, adjectivetubular, adjectiveundulate, verbvague, adjectiveveined, adjectiveV-formation, nounwavy, adjectivewhorl, nounwiggly, adjectivezigzag, noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES► smoke curls
Phrases· Smoke curled from cooking fires next to a group of tents.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB► around· Thick, dark hair curled around his face and his rolled-up sleeves revealed strong, well-muscled arms.· A musk smell lingered on Groves' sleeve, from where the female snake had curled around his arm.· A narrow stairway of stone curled around a pillar near the door and disappeared through the beams of the roof.· He studies the little dark face and massages a limp hand until the fingers curl around his own.· He could feel the tendrils curling around his legs.· There are single ropes to curl around and seats on single ropes.· A worm curled around the globe.
► back· Her lips curl back from her teeth with pleasure.· As he drew closer he counted four sleeping on the water; necks curled back, heads nestling under wings.· Her black eyes were bright, her lips curled back in a fearsome snarl that dribbled saliva and left her tongue hanging.· A male bighorn sheep curls back his upper lip in an attempt to determine the reproductive state of a female close by.
► over· A self-satisfied smile curled over her lips.· She was straining against her chain with her lips curled over her teeth and her ears pinned back.
► round· In the midst of the morning rush-hour his laughter drifted after her, curling round her senses and inflaming her still further.· The chain was in the process of curling round as if to join and form a circle.
► up· Now she curled up in a ball, hunched, defeated.· One strand of her sound curled up to the pitch.· Aim to curl up with your head and shoulders lifting clear of the mat.· Her last thought before she fell asleep was of her tiny girls, curled up on the bed beside her.· She curled up in a tight ball as though to stop herself from breaking apart.· She was now sleeping with Richard at night, curled up into a ball on the pillow by his head.· She was curled up in the flexed position.· By now the sounds of his waking hours were familiar to the boy curled up in an army greatcoat in the room below.
NOUN► ball· The keeper comes out and Page curls the ball past him into the net.· Officers found him curled in a ball on the passenger side.· Now she curled up in a ball, hunched, defeated.· In the morning, when I woke, I was curled into a little ball around it.· He groaned, and curled himself into a ball.· She was now sleeping with Richard at night, curled up into a ball on the pillow by his head.· I wanted to curl into a tiny ball and be forgotten about by everyone.· Connors said the guy must have curled up into a ball and hidden in a waste-basket.
► bed· He had curled up on to his bed at the first opportunity and fallen fast asleep.· Her last thought before she fell asleep was of her tiny girls, curled up on the bed beside her.· Nina was curled up under a bed upstairs.· He took off his clothes, and Isobel curled up on the bed watching him, like a little cat.· Maybe if she could just curl up on her bed and sleep for a while she'd feel better.
► edge· But the ancient pages were beginning to curl, the edges beginning to smoulder.· These leaves, too, were curled around the edges, and their undersides were covered with a downy tan fuzz.· If the doorsteps could have curled at the edges, they would have done so.· He watched the lower leaves blanch and curl downward at the edges.· The mature leaves are deeply lobed, often curling at the edges.· Concentration curls Sit on the edge of the bench with your knees apart.
► finger· He studies the little dark face and massages a limp hand until the fingers curl around his own.· It is pale and lumpy; the tips of the fingers are curled slightly backward.· One arm disentangled itself from the covers, her fingers curling indolently into the fine cotton of the quilt.· Ashley's fingers curled tighter around the steering-wheel.· The fingers of one hand curled around her neck, his thumb angled beneath her jaw to tip back her head.· She wanted to give in, weaken, her eyes closing and her fingers curling on his hard shoulders.
► hair· Thick, dark hair curled around his face and his rolled-up sleeves revealed strong, well-muscled arms.· You could fill a book with such hair-curling true stories of blighted lives and justice traduced.· She was sitting up in bed, her glasses already adorning her gaunt face and her hair curled up tightly on rollers.· A lot of black hair that curled down her back.· These gallants, with hair long and curled, and jerkins dripping pearls, proved to be raucous and strident.
► hand· She saw his hands curl into white-knuckled fists and knew he was fighting to keep them at his sides.· He falls asleep sometimes, slumped in the chair, a hand curled bri the broadloom rug.· He studies the little dark face and massages a limp hand until the fingers curl around his own.· He would probably touch, rise on an elbow and touch her on the hip with his hand curled soft.· Her left hand was curled down under the hem of her skirt, which she'd pulled up on that side.· Her hands curled slowly into fists, the nails scoring the soft palms until she winced, and let them relax again.· The fingers of one hand curled around her neck, his thumb angled beneath her jaw to tip back her head.
► lip· It was fantastic, my lip would curl up and my knee would go wobbly and I'd sing Blue Suede Shoes.· Her lip was ready to curl if he said anything.· His face was sallow, his lips curled down in a perpetual sulk.· Her lips curl back from her teeth with pleasure.· She was straining against her chain with her lips curled over her teeth and her ears pinned back.· Her black eyes were bright, her lips curled back in a fearsome snarl that dribbled saliva and left her tongue hanging.· I felt my lip curl, and the inside of my mouth dry out and tighten as if I had been sucking lemons.· Michael looked her up and down, his lips curling with contempt.
► mouth· He slipped a peppermint into his mouth and curled up, gazing at the legs.· Its mouth curled upwards for the first time.
► side· He saw Kimberley and Killion curling in from either side, and wondered that they were both intact.· Her legs were curled to the side, slender with dainty ankles curving to small, arched feet.· A white cat and the marmalade and white lay curled up side by side in an armchair.· The spotlight cast shadows that curled on the sculpted sides of the motor launches.
► smile· A self-satisfied smile curled over her lips.
► smoke· When they opened their mouths to speak the smoke curled out, like shadows of words.· She lit a cigarette and the smoke curled in tendrils around her face.
► toe· One Lapp shows me his reindeer skin boots, and shrugs when I ask him why the toes curl up.· His toes curled in his shoes.· She felt her toes curl, but couldn't help giving him a sharp glance.· Check to see if your toes are curled.
VERB► lie· Jinju lay curled atop a pile of grass and weeds, neither crying nor complaining, a grin frozen on her face.· He crept by the couch where she lay curled, snoring with her mouth open.· The spot where the scientist had lain curled, busily taking photographs and taking notes, is preempted by the pilot.
► want· I wanted to curl into a tiny ball and be forgotten about by everyone.· He wanted to curl lip in the doorway, for the night.· I had wanted to curl up in my sleeping-bag on the ground.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► crop of dark hair/blonde curls etc► make somebody’s hair curl► make somebody’s toes curl
1to form a twisted or curved shape, or to make something do this: - The moisture had made his hair curl even more, and had brought out the hardiness of his complexion.
- The things he could tell you about her would make your hair curl.
- The mere sight of him was enough to make McAllister's toes curl.
Mary was busy curling her hair.curl around/round Ivy curled round the tree.2[always + adverb/preposition] to move, forming a twisted or curved shape, or to make something do thiscurl across/along etc Morning mists curled across the river.curl something around/round/over etc something He curled his arm around Claudia’s waist.3if you curl your lip, or if your lip curls, you move it upwards and sideways, to show that you disapprove of someone or something: Her lip curled in contempt. → make somebody’s toes curl at toe1(5), → make your hair curl at hair(9)curl up phrasal verb1to move so that you are lying or sitting with your arms and legs bent close to your body: I just wanted to curl up and go to sleep. Sarah was curled up on the sofa.2if something flat curls up, its edges start to become curved and point upwards: The letter was now yellow and beginning to curl up.curl1 verbcurl2 noun
curlcurl2 ●●○ noun ExamplesEXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
word sets- A curl of smoke rose from her cigarette.
- Chocolate curls make an elegant decoration for cakes and desserts.
- Do two sets each of bicep and tricep curls.
- Afterwards she combed out long gray curls which turned into ringlets in the sun.
- Apply Sorbie Curl Forme on to hair to revitalise curls and add body and shine.
- He had startlingly blue eyes and dark tumbling curls over his forehead; a narrow face; a skinny body.
- My hair is flat, it has lost its curl.
- Sleep had flattened one side of her Afro and a curl had broken free above her forehead.
- These keep the curls tight and the cuticle sealed.
WORD SETS► Shapes/Patterns
Collocationsarabesque, nounarc, nounarch, nounball, nounball, verbbar, nouncheck, nouncheckered, adjectivechevron, nouncoil, nounconical, adjectivecorrugated, adjectivecrescent, nouncrisscross, verbcrosswise, adverbcruciform, adjectivecube, nouncurl, verbcurl, nouncurvature, nouncurved, adjectivecurvy, adjectivecylinder, nouncylindrical, adjectivediagonal, adjectivediamond, noundisc, noundome, noundouble helix, nounellipse, nounelliptical, adjectivefloral, adjectiveformation, nounformless, adjectivegeometric, adjectiveglobe, nounglobular, adjectiveharlequin, adjectiveheart, nounhemisphere, nounheptagon, nounhexagon, nounhoneycomb, nounhooked, adjectivehump, noun-iform, suffixlattice, nounMaltese Cross, nounmoon, nounmottled, adjectiveoblong, adjectiveoctagon, nounoval, nounovoid, adjectiveparallelogram, nounpeak, nounpentagon, nounpentagram, nounperimeter, nounpointed, adjectivepyramid, nounquadrangle, nounquadrilateral, nounradial, adjectiverectangle, nounrectangular, adjectiverectilinear, adjectiveregular, adjectivereticulated, adjectiverhomboid, nounrhomboid, adjectiverhombus, nounroll, nounround, adjectiveround, nounround, verbrounded, adjectivesemicircle, nounsolid, nounspatial, adjectivesphere, nounspiral, nounspotted, adjectivesquare, adjectivesquared, adjectivestar, nounstripe, nounstriped, adjectivestripy, adjectivesymmetrical, adjectivesymmetry, nountabular, adjectivethree-cornered, adjectivethree-dimensional, adjectivetrapezium, nountrapezoid, nountrefoil, nountriangle, nountriangular, adjectivetubular, adjectiveundulate, verbvague, adjectiveveined, adjectiveV-formation, nounwavy, adjectivewhorl, nounwiggly, adjectivezigzag, noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRYadjectives► soft/loose curls
Phrases (=gentle curves)· long brown hair in soft curls
► tight curls (=curves that are very close together)· Her dark hair was arranged in tight curls.
► natural curls· You're lucky if you have natural curls.
► a stray/wayward curl (=hanging in an untidy way)· Emily pushed back a stray curl.
► golden/dark/black etc curls· a little boy with a tangle of blond curls
verbs► curls fall/tumble (=hang down)· The child's golden curls fell around her shoulders.
phrases► a mass/mop of curls (=a lot of curls)· a gorgeous Italian man with a mass of dark curls
► a tangle of curls (=curls that are not neatly combed)· a boy with a tangle of brown curls
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES► smoke curls· Smoke curled from cooking fires next to a group of tents.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE► black· Her large grin and knotted black curls were, strangely enough, more memorable.· He put on a wig of black curls.· Rain broke on the points of the spears, crawled glistening in the tribesmen's cropped black curls.
► blonde· Léonie did not want to watch Thérèse clamber on his knee, twist her blonde curls with one finger, ogle him.
► dark· All had the dark eyes and dark curls of their father.· Papi emerged from the bathroom combing his dark wet curls flat.· And some weeks later, there were some new, darker red curls, which pleased Anne very much.· Of the dark curls which showed in the neck of his shirt.· She had the oddest desire to touch the dark curls that danced on his head.· He had startlingly blue eyes and dark tumbling curls over his forehead; a narrow face; a skinny body.
► golden· Three or four years old, a mere toddler, a boy with golden curls gathering blue flowers.
► long· I lift the long curls from my head and brush some life back into my flattened hair.· Afterwards she combed out long gray curls which turned into ringlets in the sun.· She pushed back a long fair curl with one hand.· I hated her because she wore long red banana curls and a big bow in her hair.
► red· Her hair grew in dry red curls, dark red like rust or winter bracken.· I hated her because she wore long red banana curls and a big bow in her hair.· One little girl had familiar red curls.· And some weeks later, there were some new, darker red curls, which pleased Anne very much.· His red curls dropped under the blunt scissors.
► soft· Wella High Hair Bolumising Mousse was applied to create soft curls.· Mike with soft brown curls, wire-rim glasses, easy smile, and slender frame.· Her fingers trailed slowly over his chest, tangling absently in the soft curls.
► tight· The hair on them had been flattened by the sheets, making the tight curls into hieroglyphs on his skin.· He had the face of an angel, surrounded by a halo of tight blond curls.· A A body perm is one that creates volume and body rather than tight curls.· Curlers in all different shapes and sizes are available in Boots - just remember the smaller the roller the tighter the curl.· Once the heaviness dropped away her black hair formed into tight curls, and for the first time she looked almost pretty.
NOUN► hair· The sound was strident and made the hair curl on the back of his neck.· Pretty technical stuff this, with enough contentious issues to make every boar farmer's hair curl.· The moisture had made his hair curl even more, and had brought out the hardiness of his complexion.· The things he could tell you about her would make your hair curl.
VERB► make· Even hair which is naturally curly can be transformed because rollers can help to make the existing curls more crisp and structured.· You can easily make the curls by twisting gold gift tie and sticking it into the cake.· The moisture had made his hair curl even more, and had brought out the hardiness of his complexion.· I heard the machine that he rubs across the floor start up with that horrendous howl that makes my teeth curl.· The things he could tell you about her would make your hair curl.· The mere sight of him was enough to make McAllister's toes curl.· The hair on them had been flattened by the sheets, making the tight curls into hieroglyphs on his skin.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY► curl of somebody’s lip/mouthPHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► crop of dark hair/blonde curls etc► make somebody’s hair curl► make somebody’s toes curl
1[countable] a piece of hair that hangs in a curved shape: - David had always treated them with a superior curl of the lip.
- The moisture had made his hair curl even more, and had brought out the hardiness of his complexion.
- The things he could tell you about her would make your hair curl.
- The mere sight of him was enough to make McAllister's toes curl.
a little boy with beautiful blonde curls2[singular, uncountable] the ability of your hair to form curls: Use a diffuser to maximise the volume and curl of your hair. hair that has a natural curl3[countable] something in the shape of a curve: Decorate the cake with chocolate curls.curl of A curl of smoke rose from her cigarette.4[countable] an exercise in which you repeatedly bend your arms, legs, or stomach in order to make your muscles strong5curl of somebody’s lip/mouth a sideways and upwards movement of your lip or mouth, showing that you disapprove of someone or somethingCOLLOCATIONSadjectivessoft/loose curls (=gentle curves)· long brown hair in soft curlstight curls (=curves that are very close together)· Her dark hair was arranged in tight curls.natural curls· You're lucky if you have natural curls.a stray/wayward curl (=hanging in an untidy way)· Emily pushed back a stray curl.golden/dark/black etc curls· a little boy with a tangle of blond curlsverbscurls fall/tumble (=hang down)· The child's golden curls fell around her shoulders.phrasesa mass/mop of curls (=a lot of curls)· a gorgeous Italian man with a mass of dark curlsa tangle of curls (=curls that are not neatly combed)· a boy with a tangle of brown curls