Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense curls, present participle curling, past tense, past participle curled
1. countable noun
If you have curls, your hair is in the form of tight curves and spirals.
...the little girl with blonde curls.
A curl of black hair fell loosely across his forehead.
Synonyms: ringlet, lock More Synonyms of curl
2. uncountable noun
If your hair has curl, it is full of curls.
Dry curly hair naturally for maximum curl and shine.
3. verb
If your hair curls or if you curl it, it is full of curls.
She has hair that refuses to curl. [VERB]
Maria had curled her hair for the event. [VERB noun]
Afro hair is short and tightly curled. [VERB-ed]
Synonyms: crimp, wave, perm, frizz More Synonyms of curl
4. countable noun
A curlof something is a piece or quantity of it that is curved or spiral in shape.
A thin curl of smoke rose from a rusty stove. [+ of]
...curls of lemon peel. [+ of]
Synonyms: twist, spiral, coil, kink More Synonyms of curl
5. verb
If your toes, fingers, or other parts of your body curl, or if you curl them, they form a curved or round shape.
His fingers curled gently round her wrist. [VERB preposition/adverb]
Raise one foot, curl the toes and point the foot downwards. [VERB noun]
She sat with her legs curled under her. [VERB-ed]
Synonyms: wind, entwine, twine More Synonyms of curl
6. verb
If something curls somewhere, or if you curl it there, it moves there in a spiral or curve.
Smoke was curling up the chimney. [VERB preposition/adverb]
He curled the ball into the net. [VERB noun preposition/adverb]
Synonyms: twirl, turn, bend, twist More Synonyms of curl
7. verb
If a person or animal curls into a ball, they move into a position in which their body makes a rounded shape.
He wanted to curl into a tiny ball. [VERB + into]
The kitten was curled on a cushion on the sofa. [VERB-ed]
Curl up means the same as curl.
In colder weather, your cat will curl up into a tight, heat-conserving ball. [VP + into]
She curled up next to him. [VERBPARTICLE]
He was asleep there, curled up in the fetal position. [VERB-ed PARTICLE]
8. verb
When a leaf, a piece of paper, or another flat object curls, its edges bend towards the centre.
The rose leaves have curled because of an attack by grubs. [VERB]
Curl up means the same as curl.
The corners of the lino were curling up. [VERBPARTICLE]
9. ergative verb
If you curl your lip, you raise your upper lip slightly at one side, as a way of showing anger or contempt.
He curled his upper lip in a show of scepticism. [VERB noun]
Her lip curled with scorn. [VERB]
Phrasal verbs:
See curl up
curl in British English
(kɜːl)
verb
1. (intransitive)
(esp of hair) to grow into curves or ringlets
2. (transitive; sometimes foll byup)
to twist or roll (something, esp hair) into coils or ringlets
3. (often foll by up)
to become or cause to become spiral-shaped or curved; coil
the heat made the leaves curl up
4. (intransitive)
to move in a curving or twisting manner
5. (intransitive)
to play the game of curling
6. curl one's lip
noun
7.
a curve or coil of hair
8.
a curved or spiral shape or mark, as in wood
9.
the act of curling or state of being curled
10.
any of various plant diseases characterized by curling of the leaves
11. Also called: rot, rotation mathematics
a vector quantity associated with a vector field that is the vector product of the operator ∇ and a vector function A, where ∇ = i∂/∂x + j∂/∂by + k∂/∂z,i, j, and k being unit vectors. Usually written curl A, rot A
Compare divergence (sense 4), gradient (sense 4)
Word origin
C14: probably from Middle Dutch crullen to curl; related to Middle High German krol curly, Middle Low German krūs curly
curl in American English
(kɜrl)
verb transitive
1.
to wind or twist (esp. hair) into ringlets or coils
2.
to cause to roll over or bend around
3.
to raise the upper corner of (the lip), as in showing contempt or scorn
verb intransitive
4.
to form curls; become curled
5.
to assume a spiral or curved shape
6.
to move in spirals; undulate
7.
to play the game of curling
noun
8.
a little coil of hair; ringlet
9.
anything with a spiral or curled shape; any coil
10.
a curling or being curled
11.
any of various diseases of plants in which the leaves curl up
12.
an exercise in which a weight or other resistance is pulled upward in a curl-like motion by a fully extended arm or leg
Idioms:
curl up
in curl
Word origin
ME curlen, by metathesis < crullen, to curl, bend, twist < crul, curly, akin to Du krul < Gmc *kruzla < IE *greu-s < base *ger-: see cradle
More idioms containing
curl
make your hair curl
make your toes curl
Examples of 'curl' in a sentence
curl
She pauses and curls her body forward.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
He had a shock of brown curls and a wide mouth.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
The span consists of four little bridges that curl up to form two hearts.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
This variety has proved resistant to peach leaf curl disease.
The Sun (2015)
Can he curl one in as well as he curls his hair?
The Sun (2014)
Her cats curl up under the covers.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
Work your way towards the back of your head until all the hair is curled.
The Sun (2010)
Until then they stay curled up in tight little buds.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Smoke curled across the ceiling and the house alarm began to sound.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
But the fading light caught the blonde curls of the woman in the group.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Her dark curls framed her porcelain skin and full lips.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
It will curl round and set to a neat round shape.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
These muscles work together to curl the toes down from the first and second joints.
Andrews, Elizabeth Muscle Management (1991)
Keeping your elbows close to your body curl up towards your shoulders.
The Sun (2012)
That the little curls of piggy rind would crunch but not twang.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
He should have shot first time but decided to check back and his curled effort was wide of the far post.
The Sun (2013)
The midfielder curled home a superb shot from the edge of the area into the top right-hand corner.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Again Mata curled his left foot around a free-kick.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
The midfielder scored with a curling 20-yard free-kick to leave him digging into his memory banks.
The Sun (2006)
Her hair was more reddish than yellow, curled in appearance naturally '.
Jane Dunn ELIZABETH AND MARY: Cousins, Rivals, Queens (2003)
The three had been lying motionless in the rough grass, curled in foetal positions, hoping to be invisible.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
We've got all these pictures of them when they were tiny, all curled up asleep on airport tables.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
In other languages
curl
British English: curl /kɜːl/ NOUN
Curls are lengths of hair shaped in curves and circles.
...a little girl with blonde curls.
American English: curl
Arabic: جَعْدَة
Brazilian Portuguese: caracol
Chinese: 卷曲
Croatian: kovrča
Czech: kadeř
Danish: krølle
Dutch: krul
European Spanish: rizo
Finnish: kihara
French: boucle cheveux
German: Locke
Greek: μπούκλα
Italian: ricciolo
Japanese: 巻き毛
Korean: 곱슬곱슬한 머리칼
Norwegian: krøll
Polish: lok
European Portuguese: caracol de cabelo
Romanian: buclă
Russian: завиток
Latin American Spanish: rizo
Swedish: lock våg
Thai: ผมเป็นลอน
Turkish: bukle saç
Ukrainian: кучер
Vietnamese: sự uốn xoăn tóc
British English: curl VERB
If your hair curls or if you curl it, it is full of curls.
She has hair that refuses to curl.
American English: curl
Brazilian Portuguese: enrolar
Chinese: 使卷曲
European Spanish: rizarse
French: boucler
German: wellen
Italian: arricciare
Japanese: カールさせる/カールする
Korean: 곱슬곱슬하다
European Portuguese: enrolar
Latin American Spanish: rizarse
All related terms of 'curl'
curl up
to adopt a reclining position with the legs close to the body and the back rounded
in curl
curled
kiss curl
a circular curl of hair pressed flat against the cheek or forehead
pin curl
a small section of hair wound in a circle and secured with a hairpin to set it in a curl
side curl
earlock
spit curl
a circular curl of hair pressed flat against the cheek or forehead
curl paper
a strip of paper used to roll up and set a section of hair, usually wetted , into a curl
trunk curl
another term for sit-up
American Curl
a breed of slender cat with curled-back ears and a plumed tail
preacher curl
a weightlifting exercise for the biceps in which a barbell is lifted by flexing the elbows , with the upper arms resting on an angled bench
curl one's lip
to show contempt , as by raising a corner of the lip
dust ball
a ball or roll of dust and lint that accumulates indoors , as in corners or under furniture
make your hair curl
to make you very shocked or worried
make your toes curl
to make you feel very embarrassed for someone else
Chinese translation of 'curl'
curl
(kəːl)
n(c)
[of hair]卷(捲)发(髮) (juǎnfà) (头, tóu)
[of smoke]缕(縷) (lǚ)
vt
[hair]使变(變)卷(捲) (shǐ biànjuǎn)
vi
[hair]卷(捲)曲 (juǎnqū)
[smoke]盘(盤)绕(繞) (pánrào)
1 (noun)
Definition
a coil of hair
a little girl with blonde curls
Synonyms
ringlet
lock
She brushed a lock of hair off his forehead.
2 (noun)
Definition
a curved or spiral shape
A thick curl of smoke rose from the rusty stove.
Synonyms
twist
the bare bulb hanging from a twist of flex
spiral
Larks were rising in spirals from the ridge.
coil
Tess slung the coil of rope over her shoulder.
kink
a tiny black kitten with tufted ears and a kink in her tail
whorl
The plant has dense whorls of red-purple flowers.
curlicue
1 (verb)
Definition
to twist (hair) or (of hair) to grow in coils or ringlets
She had curled her hair for the event.
Synonyms
crimp
wave
perm
frizz
2 (verb)
Definition
to twist into a spiral or curve
Smoke was curling up the chimney.
Synonyms
twirl
She twirled an empty glass in her fingers.
turn
the corner where our street turns into the main road
bend
Bend the bar into a horseshoe.
twist
The road twists and turns between pleasant little cottages.
curve
The track curved away below him.
loop
He looped the rope over the wood.
spiral
Smoke spiralled from a joss stick.
coil
A python had coiled itself around the branch of the tree.
meander
writhe
corkscrew
wreathe
The temple's huge columns were wreathed in laurels.
convolute
3 (verb)
Definition
to twist into a spiral or curve
She curled her fingers round his wrist.
Synonyms
wind
She wound the sash round her waist.
entwine
I reached over and entwined our fingers.
twine
These strands of molecules twine around each other.
Additional synonyms
in the sense of bend
Definition
to form a curve
Bend the bar into a horseshoe.
Synonyms
twist,
turn,
wind,
lean,
hook,
bow,
curve,
arch,
incline,
arc,
deflect,
warp,
buckle,
coil,
flex,
stoop,
veer,
swerve,
diverge,
contort,
inflect,
incurvate
in the sense of coil
Definition
a single loop of such a series
Tess slung the coil of rope over her shoulder.
Synonyms
loop,
twist,
curl,
spiral,
twirl
in the sense of coil
Definition
to move in a winding course
A python had coiled itself around the branch of the tree.