Main Entry: ¹cur·tain

Pronunciation: \ˈkər-t^ən\

Function: noun

Etymology: Middle English curtine, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin cortina (translation of Greek aulaia, from aulē court), from Latin cohort-, cohors enclosure, court — more at court

Date: 14th century

1 : a hanging screen usually capable of being drawn back or up; especially : window drapery
2 : a device or agency that conceals or acts as a barrier — compare iron curtain
3 a : the part of a bastioned front that connects two neighboring bastions b (1) : a similar stretch of plain wall (2) : a nonbearing exterior wall
4 a : the movable screen separating the stage from the auditorium of a theater b : the ascent or opening (as at the beginning of a play) of a stage curtain; also : its descent or closing (as at the end of an act) c : the final situation, line, or scene of an act or play d : the time at which a theatrical performance begins e plural : end; especially : death <it will be curtains for us if we're caught>

— cur·tain·less \-ləs\ adjective