curve

play

adjective \ˈkərv\

Definition of curve

archaic

: bent or formed into a curve

Origin and Etymology of curve

Middle English, from Latin curvus; akin to Greek kyrtos convex, Middle Irish cruinn round

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

See Words from the same year

curve

verb

Definition of curve

curved

;

curving

intransitive verb
: to have or take a turn, change, or deviation from a straight line or plane surface without sharp breaks or angularity
transitive verb
1 : to cause to curve
2 : to throw a curveball to (a batter)
3 : to grade (something, such as an examination) on a curve

See curve defined for English-language learners

See curve defined for kids

Examples of curve in a Sentence

The tail curves over the dog's back.
The road curves to the left.
The fence curves in toward the side of the house.
The railing curves out near the observation platform.

Recent Examples of curve from the Web

Of her great breakthroughs, perhaps the most easily explained involves hyperbolic surfaces: roughly, doughnuts with two or more holes, but where each point on the surface curves upwards, like a saddle.

— The Economist, "Adding upObituary: Maryam Mirzakhani died on July 14th," 20 July 2017
At the heart of the 28-acre development is a lush 6-acre park, designed by landscape architect James Burnett, with curving paths and gurgling water features.

— blair kamin, chicagotribune.com, "Lakeshore East towers would make a skyline splash but at ground level, let the buyer beware," 13 July 2017
With one out and runners on first and second, Beavers' leadoff hitter center fielder Steven Kwan sliced a curving ball in the air toward the left field foul pole.

— ron higgins, NOLA.com, "Omaha Stakes: Ron Higgins' Five observations from LSU's 3-1 CWS semifinals win over Oregon State," 23 June 2017
An old stairway was removed, replaced by a curving white oak staircase.

— diane m. fiske, Philly.com, "In Wyndmoor, making familiar spaces new again," 23 June 2017
The Leelanau County Poor Farm barn stands alone in a field of dandelions and grass, just off a narrow, winding highway that passes through the family farms and softly curving green hills of the Leelanau Peninsula on the western side of the state.

— john carlisle, Detroit Free Press, "Historic barn on Leelanau Peninsula faces demolition," 22 June 2017
As the sun sets, its path on the celestial sphere slowly curves below the horizon instead of dropping quickly.

— justin grieser, Washington Post, "The summer solstice is Wednesday — here’s a guide to the longest day of the year," 20 June 2017
This serving niche is set off by its materials — black granite over a curving stainless steel base.

— judy rose, Detroit Free Press, "Mayflower condo offers modern amenities in historic part of Plymouth," 18 June 2017
We were immediately struck by the extensive, complex, anastomosing system of internal channels and branches present deep inside the premaxillae and maxillae, snaking and curving around the tooth roots.

— darren naish, Scientific American Blog Network, "The Sensitive Face of a Big Predatory Dinosaur," 16 June 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of curve

Latin curvare, from curvus

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1594

See Words from the same year

curve

noun

Definition of curve

1a : a line especially when curved: such as (1) : the path of a moving point (2) : a line defined by an equation so that the coordinates of its points are functions of a single independent variable or parameterb : the graph of a variable
2 : something curved: such asa : a curving line of the human bodyb curves plural : parenthesis
3a : curveballb : trick, deception
4 : a distribution indicating the relative performance of individuals measured against each other that is used especially in assigning good, medium, or poor grades to usually predetermined proportions of students rather than in assigning grades based on predetermined standards of achievement
5 : trend a growth curve in advertising revenues; especially : a prevalent trend or rate of progress —often used in the phrases ahead of the curve and behind the curve companies that are behind the curve in adopting new technologies

curvy

play \ˈkər-vē\ adjective

See curve defined for English-language learners

Examples of curve in a Sentence

The dog's tail has a slight curve.
There is a sharp curve coming up in the road.
the price curve in relation to inflation

Recent Examples of curve from the Web

The tiara boasts 19 diamond arches, with pearls dangling from each embellished curve.

— michelle darrisaw, Southern Living, "Kate Middleton Was Just Spotted Wearing the Perfect Royal Accessory—Princess Diana’s Tiara," 14 July 2017
Now, the company has launched jewelry in hopes of helping curve women find accessories in extended sizes.

— lindsay peoples, The Cut, "Finally, Someone Understands That Jewelry Should Come in Extended Sizes Too," 10 July 2017
The upper end of the probability curve runs as high as eight degrees — and the authors still haven’t figured out how to deal with that permafrost melt.

— david wallace-wells, Daily Intelligencer, "When Will the Planet Be Too Hot For Humans? Much, Much Sooner Than You Imagine.," 9 July 2017
There’s also a huge learning curve as this tech continues to evolve—even for the talent—as most have never shot in VR, which requires a certain amount of instruction and parameters.

— jeremy glass, GQ, "The Only Thing Less Fun Than Watching Virtual Reality Porn Is Making Virtual Reality Porn," 5 July 2017
Even for Elish — an All-American who played at the highest levels of travel ball, was Miss Softball as a senior with the Bulldogs and won Indiana Gatorade Player of the Year three times — there was a learning curve.

— michael osipoff, Post-Tribune, "Crown Point graduate Miranda Elish helps pitch Oregon to national semifinals," 3 July 2017
Like a baseball pitcher struggling to control his fastball, Drew Kibler switched to his curve and got a punch-out.

— david woods, Indianapolis Star, "With pressure off, Carmel's Drew Kibler turns it on in butterfly," 29 June 2017
Thurman, then a pitcher for the Carolina Mudcats of the Single-A Carolina League, was on a bus headed to a game in Myrtle Beach, S.C. when the driver misjudged her speed and missed a curve in the road.

— barry faulkner, Daily Pilot, "Thurman bouncing back from 2015 minor-league bus crash," 28 June 2017
The curve of the ribs makes displacing the air in the Stasher a bit tricky—

— joe ray, WIRED, "Review: Stasher Bags for Sous Vide," 28 June 2017

First Known Use of curve

1666

CURVE Defined for English Language Learners

curve

verb

Definition of curve for English Language Learners

: to form a curve : to turn or change from a straight line, shape, or path to a smooth, rounded one
: to cause (something) to form a curve

curve

noun

Definition of curve for English Language Learners

: a smooth, rounded line, shape, path, etc.
: a curved line on a graph that shows how something changes or is affected by one or more conditions
: a curving line or shape of the human body and especially of a woman's body

CURVE Defined for Kids

curve

play

verb \ˈkərv\

Definition of curve for Students

curved

;

curving

: to turn or cause to turn from a straight line or course The road curved to the left.

curve

play

noun

Definition of curve for Students

1 : a smooth rounded line or surface Slow down! There's a curve in the road.
2 : something having a somewhat round shape the curves of the body
3 : a ball thrown so that it moves away from a straight course