curlicue

noun

cur·​li·​cue ˈkər-lē-ˌkyü How to pronounce curlicue (audio)
-li-
variants or less commonly curlycue
Synonyms of curlicuenext
: a fancifully curved or spiral figure : flourish

Examples of curlicue in a Sentence

Curlicues were carved into the wood.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Beginning in the eighteen-nineties, Karl Blossfeldt took closeups of plants abstracted from their environments, making visible the art of their natural curlicues and reticulations. Max Norman, New Yorker, 21 May 2026 The cupcake-frosted Neoclassical villas and grand hotels, decorated with swoopy Art Nouveau curlicues, are artifacts of the Belle Époque, left behind like parade floats by the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Kevin West, Travel + Leisure, 8 May 2026 The walls are decked out with perceptive studies of the Mustang landscape by the American painter Robert Powell, a frequent visitor to the region, and by drapes and banners referencing the colorful cloud curlicues of Thangka scrolls. Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Feb. 2026 So is an untitled stack of rugged bricks with a chunk of concrete suspended from a metal curlicue. Scott Cantrell, Dallas Morning News, 21 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for curlicue

Word History

Etymology

curly + cue a braid of hair

First Known Use

1843, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of curlicue was in 1843

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Cite this Entry

“Curlicue.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/curlicue. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.

Kids Definition

curlicue

noun
curli·​cue
variants also curlycue
ˈkər-li-ˌkyü
: a fancifully curved or spiral figure (as a flourish in handwriting)

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