C13: shortened from kurdogge; probably related to Old Norse kurra to growl
cur in American English1
(kɜr)
noun
1.
a dog of mixed breed; mongrel
2.
a mean, contemptible person
Word origin
ME curre, earlier kurdogge, prob. < ON or MLowG, as in Swed dial. kurre, MLowG korre, dog: basic sense “snarling, growling” < ON kurra or MLowG korren, to growl
cur in American English2
1.
currency
2.
current
Synonyms of 'cur'
mongrel, hound, stray, canine
scoundrel, villain, good-for-nothing, blackguard
More Synonyms of cur
1 (noun)
Definition
a vicious mongrel dog
He called my dog a mangy cur.
Synonyms
mongrel
hound
my faithful old hound, Bluey
stray
canine
mutt (slang)
He was being harassed by a large, off-the-leash mutt.
2 (noun)
Definition
a contemptible person
Elliot was vilified as a cur and a scoundrel.
Synonyms
scoundrel (old-fashioned)
He is a lying scoundrel.
villain
As a copper, I've spent my life putting villains like him away.
good-for-nothing
blackguard
heel (slang)
Suddenly I feel like a total heel.
rat (informal)
What did you do with the gun you took from that little rat?
shit (taboo, slang)
As I said, in many ways he was a shit.
bastard (informal, offensive)
I don't trust the bastard.
bugger (taboo, slang)
son-of-a-bitch (slang, mainly US, Canadian)
wretch
I think he's a mean-minded, vindictive old wretch.