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curl

/kərl/
/kəl/
IPA guide

Other forms: curled; curls

Things that curl bend in a spiral or circular shape. When you curl your hair, you use heat to make it wavy and coiled.

You can curl a lock of hair around your finger, or curl your body up in a chair. You can also call the shape you're forming a curl. A completely different way to curl is to play the Olympic sport known as curling, which is a little like shuffleboard on ice. The sport comes from Scotland, and the word probably comes from the Middle Dutch krul, "curly."

Definitions of curl
  1. verb
    form a curl, curve, or kink
    synonyms: curve, kink
    see moresee less
    type of:
    change surface
    undergo or cause to undergo a change in the surface
  2. verb
    shape one's body into a curl
    “She curled farther down under the covers”
    synonyms: curl up, draw in
    attract, draw, draw in, pull, pull in
    direct toward itself or oneself by means of some psychological power or physical attributes
    see moresee less
    type of:
    bend, flex
    form a curve
  3. verb
    wind around something in coils or loops
    synonyms: coil, loop
    see moresee less
    type of:
    roll, twine, wind, wrap
    arrange or coil around
  4. verb
    twist or roll into coils or ringlets
    curl my hair, please”
    synonyms: wave
    see moresee less
    types:
    crape, crimp, frizz, frizzle, kink, kink up
    curl tightly
    type of:
    twist
    turn in the opposite direction
  5. noun
    a round shape formed by a series of concentric circles (as formed by leaves or flower petals)
    see moresee less
    types:
    corolla
    (botany) the whorl of petals of a flower that collectively form an inner floral envelope or layer of the perianth
    calyx
    (botany) the whorl of sepals of a flower collectively forming the outer floral envelope or layer of the perianth enclosing and supporting the developing bud; usually green
    verticil
    a whorl of leaves growing around a stem
    hull
    persistent enlarged calyx at base of e.g. a strawberry or raspberry
    pappus
    calyx composed of scales or bristles or featherlike hairs in plants of the Compositae such as thistles and dandelions
    type of:
    round shape
    a shape that is curved and without sharp angles
  6. noun
    a strand or cluster of hair
    synonyms: lock, ringlet, whorl
    see moresee less
    types:
    sausage curl
    a fat sausage-shaped curl
    forelock
    a lock of hair growing (or falling) over the forehead
    crimp
    a lock of hair that has been artificially waved or curled
    dreadlock
    one of many long thin braids of hair radiating from the scalp; popularized by Rastafarians
    tress
    (usually plural) a long lock of hair
    quiff
    a prominent forelock (especially one brushed upward from the forehead)
    pin curl
    a curl of hair made by dampening a strand of hair and curling it and holding the curl with a clip or bobby pin
    kiss curl, spit curl
    a spiral curl plastered on the forehead or cheek
    type of:
    hair
    a covering for the body (or parts of it) consisting of a dense growth of threadlike structures (as on the human head); helps to prevent heat loss
  7. verb
    play the Scottish game of curling
    see moresee less
    type of:
    play
    participate in games or sport
Pronunciation
US
/kərl/
UK
/kəl/
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DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘curl'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback
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