curdle

verb cur·dle \ ˈkər-dᵊl \

Definition of curdle

curdled; curdling play \ˈkərd-liŋ, ˈkər-dᵊl-iŋ\

intransitive verb

1 :to form curds; also :to congeal as if by forming curds

a scream curdled in her throat

2 :to go bad or wrong :spoil

transitive verb

1 :to cause curds to form in

curdled milk

2 :spoil, sour

See curdle defined for English-language learners

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Examples of curdle in a Sentence

Too much heat will make the custard curdle.
Too much heat will curdle the custard.

Recent Examples of curdle from the Web

Abraham watched the reports over and over on his phone, his stomach curdling with regret.

— author: sabrina tavernise, Alaska Dispatch News, "At an Arkansas mosque, a vandal spreads hate and finds mercy," 26 Aug. 2017
Investors new wariness arguably reflects a broader truth about how quickly whatever promise Trump’s victory held has curdled into something else.

— tory newmyer, Washington Post, "The Finance 202: Trump sets Wall Street on edge with shutdown threat," 24 Aug. 2017
What was once an uneasy governing alliance has curdled into a feud of mutual resentment and sometimes outright hostility.

— ed kilgore, Daily Intelligencer, "The Trump-McConnell Feud Becoming a ‘Cold War’," 22 Aug. 2017
But the moment also comes amid other battles in the long American struggle of reconciling the Constitution’s guarantee of equal rights for all with a deep strain of white supremacy that, at times, curdles the body politic.

— jason thomson, The Christian Science Monitor, "Will Charlottesville mark a tipping point for the United States?," 14 Aug. 2017
Partly, this is because the concept of fairness has curdled unfortunately into Both Siderism of a particularly virulent sort.

— charles p. pierce, Esquire, "Jeff Flake's Republican Heresy Doesn't Go Nearly Far Enough," 1 Aug. 2017
But markets have become increasingly sceptical that Donald Trump will follow through on his most blood-curdling trade threats.

— The Economist, "The Big Mac index," 13 July 2017
The Oster Pro 1200 Plus Blender took on sturdy foods like coffee beans and large quantities of ice with ease, but curdled the ice cream in our milkshake recipe.

— the good housekeeping institute, Good Housekeeping, "Oster Pro 1200 Plus Blender #BLSTMB-GTF," 30 June 2017
Her excitement curdles into existential disappointment with the day, her marriage, her life: This was her one and only life!

— trine tsouderos, chicagotribune.com, "Review: 'The Dinner Party' by Joshua Ferris," 6 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'curdle.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of curdle

frequentative of ²curd

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First Known Use: 1590

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CURDLE Defined for English Language Learners

curdle

verb

Definition of curdle for English Language Learners

: to thicken and separate into liquids and solids : to form curds

CURDLE Defined for Kids

curdle

verb cur·dle \ ˈkər-dᵊl \

Definition of curdle for Students

curdled; curdling

:to thicken or cause to become thickened with or as if with curds

The milk curdled.

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curdle

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