curtsy

noun

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curt·sy | \ ˈkərt-sē

\

variants: or less commonly curtsey

plural curtsies also curtseys

Definition of curtsy

(Entry 1 of 2)

: an act of civility, respect, or reverence made mainly by women and consisting of a slight lowering of the body with bending of the knees

curtsy

verb

variants: or less commonly curtsey

curtsied also curtseyed; curtsying also curtseying

Definition of curtsy (Entry 2 of 2)

intransitive verb

: to make a curtsy

Examples of curtsy in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Enter Ego Nwodim offering her services with a curtsy to Page. — Erin Jensen, USA TODAY, "'SNL': Female cast thirsts over host Regé-Jean Page, 'Bridgerton' reimagined with awful intimacy coordinators," 21 Feb. 2021 Charlotte, in particular, made headlines for adorably accepting bouquets of flowers, hugging a woman in a wheelchair, and pulling off a perfect curtsy to her great-grandmother the Queen. — Kayleigh Roberts, Marie Claire, "Prince William Had Prince George & Princess Charlotte Practice Their Sandringham Christmas Walk," 29 Dec. 2019 Fergie performed a deep curtsy to Queen Elizabeth, and also dipped her head and raised her hand in the air. — Amy Mackelden, Harper's BAZAAR, "Fergie Curtsied to the Queen at the Royal Ascot and the Internet Won’t Stop Talking About It," 22 June 2019 After watching mom Kate Middleton carry out the move, Princess Charlotte took hold of her coat and copied the regal curtsy. — Amy Mackelden, Harper's BAZAAR, "Princess Charlotte Copied Kate Middleton's Curtsy to the Queen," 26 Dec. 2019 To do it before giving the Queen the customary curtsy? — Kayleigh Roberts, Marie Claire, "Kate Middleton Kissing the Queen on the Cheek Reveals a LOT About Her Status in the Royal Family," 25 May 2019 Some social historians say curtsies may also have evolved in Europe as a response to the declining popularity of greeting people with the lips. — Thomas Mulier, Fortune, "The 1-meter rule: virologists pan high fives, ‘bro hugs’ and kissing as the coronavirus spreads," 26 Feb. 2020 At just 4 years old, Princess Charlotte has mastered her royal curtsy! — Stephanie Petit, PEOPLE.com, "Princess Charlotte Shows Off Her Picture-Perfect Curtsy to the Queen on Christmas," 26 Dec. 2019 Kate, seeing the Queen, gave her mother-in-law a dutiful curtsy. — Chloe Foussianes, Town & Country, "See Princess Charlotte Curtsy to Queen Elizabeth as They Leave Church on Christmas Day," 26 Dec. 2019 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Meghan couldn't curtsy backwards across the moat fast enough. — Raven Smith, Vogue, "The Enduring, Alarming Appeal of Princess Diana," 20 Aug. 2020 Later on in the morning she was spotted curtsying as her great-grandmother passed by. — Natasha Reda, Glamour, "Kate Middleton Wears a Chic Faux Fur Catherine Walker Coat for Christmas Day," 25 Dec. 2019 After church, Princess Charlotte made quite the adorable attempt to curtsy on the steps as her great-grandmother, the Queen, drove by. — Vogue, "Princess Charlotte’s First Walk to Church Included a Cute Curtsy—And a Fun Gift," 25 Dec. 2019 Speaking of curtsies, were curtsies in the 1920s different from the way people curtsy now? — Caroline Hallemann, Town & Country, "Downton Abbey's Historical Advisor Alastair Bruce Says He Was "Ruthless" on Set," 21 Sep. 2019 Upon greeting the Queen, Kate leaned in to give her a kiss on the cheek and then curtsied (see pictures of the cheek kiss and curtsy here). — Kayleigh Roberts, Marie Claire, "Kate Middleton Kissing the Queen on the Cheek Reveals a LOT About Her Status in the Royal Family," 25 May 2019 And Morey was compelled to recant too, before his league, the National Basketball Association, and its biggest star, LeBron James, took turns curtsying to the Commies and thanking them for their business. — Daniel Foster, National Review, "Progressive Woke, Communist Yoke," 24 Oct. 2019 In a new interview with Katie Couric, royal expert and commentator Omid Scobie broke down the way family hierarchy impacts who curtsies to whom. — Kayleigh Roberts, Marie Claire, "Meghan Markle Had to Memorize the Most Complicated Curtsying Rules When She Became Royal," 4 Aug. 2019 So basically: Anyone senior to Harry (like the Queen, for an obvious example), Meghan has to curtsy to, all of the time. — Kayleigh Roberts, Marie Claire, "Meghan Markle Had to Memorize the Most Complicated Curtsying Rules When She Became Royal," 4 Aug. 2019

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

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Dictionary Entries near curtsy

Curtius

Curtius rearrangement

Statistics for curtsy

Last Updated

27 Feb 2021

Cite this Entry

“Curtsy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/curtsy. Accessed 2 Mar. 2021.

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More Definitions for curtsy

curtsy

noun

English Language Learners Definition of curtsy

: a formal way of greeting an important person (such as a king or queen) in which a woman shows respect by placing one foot slightly behind the other and bending her knees

See the full definition for curtsy in the English Language Learners Dictionary

curtsy

verb

curt·sy

variants: also curtsey \ ˈkərt-sē \

curtsied also curtseyed; curtsying also curtseying