释义 |
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2024curve /kɜrv/USA pronunciation n., v., curved, curv•ing, adj. n. [countable] - Mathematics, a continuously bending line, without angles:a curve in the road.
- SportAlso called curve′ ball′. a baseball pitch thrown with a spin that causes the ball to turn from a normal straight path.
- a misleading or deceptive trick:That was a mean curve from the professor.
- Educationan academic grading system based on the scale of performance of the group, so that those performing better, regardless of their actual knowledge, receive higher grades:to mark on a curve.
v. - to (cause to) bend in a curve;
take the course of a curve: [no object]The road curved sharply to the left.[~ + object]The bowler curved the ball to the right. Idioms- Idioms throw someone a curve, to take someone by surprise:The economy threw all the investors a curve by refusing to regain strength when expected.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2024curve (kûrv),USA pronunciation n., v., curved, curv•ing, adj. n. - Mathematicsa continuously bending line, without angles.
- the act or extent of curving.
- any curved outline, form, thing, or part.
- a curved section of a road, path, hallway, etc.
- Rail Transporta curved section of track: in the U.S. the curve is often expressed as the central angle, measured in degrees, of a curved section of track subtended by a chord 100 ft. (30 m) long (degree of curve.)
- SportAlso called curve′ ball′. [Baseball.]
- a pitch delivered with a spin that causes the ball to veer from a normal straight path, away from the side from which it was thrown.
- the course of such a pitched ball.
- a graphic representation of the variations effected in something by the influence of changing conditions; graph.
- Mathematicsa collection of points whose coordinates are continuous functions of a single independent variable.
- a misleading or deceptive trick;
cheat; deception. - Educationa grading system based on the scale of performance of a group, so that those performing better, regardless of their actual knowledge of the subject, receive high grades:The new English professor marks on a curve.Cf. absolute (def. 10).
- a curved guide used in drafting.
- Idioms ahead of (or behind ) the curve, at the forefront of (or lagging behind) recent developments, trends, etc.
- Idioms throw (someone) a curve:
- to take (someone) by surprise, esp. in a negative way.
- to mislead or deceive.
v.t. - to bend in a curve;
cause to take the course of a curve. - to grade on a curve.
- Sport[Baseball.]to pitch a curve to.
v.i. - to bend in a curve;
take the course of a curve. adj. - curved.
- Latin curvus crooked, bent, curved
- Middle French)
- (1565–75
curv•ed•ly (kûr′vid lē),USA pronunciation adv. curv′ed•ness, n. curve′less, adj. curve, + n. - Idioms ahead of (or behind ) the curve, at the forefront of (or lagging behind) recent developments, trends, etc.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers:: curve /kɜːv/ n - a continuously bending line that has no straight parts
- something that curves or is curved, such as a bend in a road or the contour of a woman's body
- the act or extent of curving; curvature
- a system of points whose coordinates satisfy a given equation; a locus of points
- a line representing data, esp statistical data, on a graph
- ahead of the curve ⇒ ahead of the times; ahead of schedule
- behind the curve ⇒ behind the times; behind schedule
vb - to take or cause to take the shape or path of a curve; bend
Etymology: 15th Century: from Latin curvāre to bend, from curvus crookedˈcurvedness n ˈcurvy adj |