Definition of curve
archaic
: bent or formed into a curve
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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
in the meaning defined above
See Words from the same yearDefinition of curve
curved;
curving
: to have or take a turn, change, or deviation from a straight line or plane surface without sharp breaks or angularity
1
: to cause to curve
2
: to throw a curveball to (a batter)
3
: to grade (something, such as an examination) on a curve
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
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The car zipped around the curving track and back to the starting point.
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Only the tones change: The curving trunk and dense branches are fluorescent green on red, not black ink on aging white paper.
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The curving brick building, called Fjordenhus, rises from the harbor and connects to land via a walkway.
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The curving glass roof creates a sense of place but is most unfortunately NON FUNCTIONAL.
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Masterpieces are dotted across the lawn: There is a massive and rustily patinated 180-ton Richard Serra sculpture, Sidewinder, anchoring the front yard, its two curving steel walls shadowing each other.
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Farther east, multiple towers up to 950 feet tall would surround a 7-acre park curving along the path where the river ran until it was straightened to accommodate barge traffic in the 1920s.
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Even the curving glass facade was designed to express the movement of a stage curtain.
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This elegant species, with its white spots that seem to glow against its curving black fins, was only found in isolated pockets scattered throughout Indonesia’s Banggai archipelago.
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
in the meaning defined at intransitive sense
See Words from the same yearDefinition of curve
1 a
: 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 parameter
b
: the graph of a variable
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
- companies that are behind the curve in adopting new technologies
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
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The porch, a meandering metal widow’s walk that curves around the house and overlooks the yard below—and the location of the dog house—is a space for sipping wine, smoking, moving from inside to outside and back again.
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In 1995 my family moved into Winter Park near the Brewer curve.
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Fourth-round pick Kyle Bradish (New Mexico State) mixes a 91-93-mph fastball with an overhand curve.
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The sidewalls of the lower-deck cabin don’t have curves that cramp space.
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Others will be out in the open, part of organized car club rallies, gracefully taking the curves on country roads or speeding by on Interstate 5.
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After relying heavily on a fastball/curve mix in 2017, the southpaw has thrown his change-up roughly twice as often in 2018 (10% to 22%).
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One of the most expensive consumer robots under development, a machine named Harmony, is a $15,000 union of silicone curves and silicon chips.
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Treat any curves by holding the arrow firmly on a flat surface and running the body of a screwdriver over it from end to end.
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.
First Known Use of curve
1666
CURVE Defined for English Language Learners
curve
Definition of curve for English Language Learners
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: to form a curve : to turn or change from a straight line, shape, or path to a smooth, rounded one
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: to cause (something) to form a curve
curve
Definition of curve for English Language Learners
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: a smooth, rounded line, shape, path, etc.
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: a curved line on a graph that shows how something changes or is affected by one or more conditions
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: a curving line or shape of the human body and especially of a woman's body
CURVE Defined for Kids
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.
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
Learn More about curve
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See words that rhyme with curve Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for curve Spanish Central: Translation of curve Nglish: Translation of curve for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of curve for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about curve
Seen and Heard
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