curve

[ kurv ]

/ kɜrv /

noun

a continuously bending line, without angles.

the act or extent of curving.

any curved outline, form, thing, or part.

a curved section of a road, path, hallway, etc.

Railroads. a curved section of track: in the U.S. the curve is often expressed as the central angle, measured in degrees, of a curved section of track subtended by a chord 100 feet (30 meters) long (degree of curve).

Also called curve ball, curveball. Baseball.

a pitch delivered with a spin that causes the ball to veer from a normal straight path, away from the side from which it was thrown.
the course of such a pitched ball.

a graphic representation of the variations effected in something by the influence of changing conditions; graph.

Mathematics. a collection of points whose coordinates are continuous functions of a single independent variable.

a misleading or deceptive trick; cheat; deception.

Education. a grading system based on the scale of performance of a group, so that those performing better, regardless of their actual knowledge of the subject, receive high grades: The new English professor marks on a curve. Compare absolute(def 10).

a curved guide used in drafting.

verb (used with object), curved, curv·ing.

to bend in a curve; cause to take the course of a curve.

to grade on a curve.

Baseball. to pitch a curve to.

verb (used without object), curved, curv·ing.

to bend in a curve; take the course of a curve.

adjective

having the shape of a curve; curved.

Idioms for curve

ahead of/behindthe curve, at the forefront of (or lagging behind) recent developments, trends, etc.

throw (someone) a curve,

to take (someone) by surprise, especially in a negative way.
to mislead or deceive.

Origin of curve

1565–75; (< Middle French) < Latin curvus crooked, bent, curved

OTHER WORDS FROM curve

curv·ed·ly

[kur-vid-lee] /ˈkɜr vɪd li/, adverb curv·ed·ness, noun curve·less, adjective un·curved, adjective

un·curv·ing, adjective un·der·curve, noun un·der·curve, verb (used without object), un·der·curved, un·der·curv·ing. well-curved, adjective

Words nearby curve

curvature aberration, curvature hyperopia, curvature myopia, curvature of field, curvature of space, curve, curve ball, curve fitting, curve of occlusion, curvet, curvette

Example sentences from the Web for curved

Wielding a curved knife, a young man navigates past the aging structures and into the forest.

The Congo's Forgotten Colonial Getaway |Nina Strochlic |December 18, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
His spine was curved, indicating the condition known as scoliosis.

Three Dicks: Cheney, Nixon, Richard III and the Art of Reputation Rehab |Clive Irving |July 27, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Roll-neck designs were made in fine pleats with arms buried in folds of curved material.

Comme Des Garçons, Kenzo, and More Japanese Designers at Paris Fashion Week |Liza Foreman |March 4, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Reporters call it "the fishbowl": the building is curved, and the entire area is fronted by glass.

Toronto Mayor: I Was Drunk When I Did Crack |Hamutal Dotan |November 6, 2013 |DAILY BEAST

He created the curved Virgule heel as a signature, to differentiate his work post-Dior.

Shoes Fit For A Museum: Roger Vivier’s Virigule Show Opens at Palais De Tokyo |Sarah Moroz |October 2, 2013 |DAILY BEAST
The lower arm of Z is sometimes drawn out (see E, 3): it may be curved and pointed (or flourished).

Writing & Illuminating, & Lettering |Edward Johnston
This bar is slightly concave on the side next the sled and gives the nose a curved shape.

Ethnology of the Ungava District, Hudson Bay Territory |Lucien Turner
Examine one bronchus, carefully dissecting away the lung tissue with curved scissors.

A Practical Physiology |Albert F. Blaisdell
He curved about in the woods and then ran rapidly toward the point where the fire seemed thinnest.

The Guns of Shiloh |Joseph A. Altsheler
The curved knife-tooth harrow consists of a frame to which a row of curved blades is attached.

Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 13, Slice 1 |Various

British Dictionary definitions for curved

curve

/ (kɜːv) /

noun

a continuously bending line that has no straight parts

something that curves or is curved, such as a bend in a road or the contour of a woman's body

the act or extent of curving; curvature

maths

a system of points whose coordinates satisfy a given equation; a locus of points
the graph of a function with one independent variable

a line representing data, esp statistical data, on a graph an unemployment curve

ahead of the curve ahead of the times; ahead of schedule

behind the curve behind the times; behind schedule

short for French curve

verb

to take or cause to take the shape or path of a curve; bend

Other words from curve

Related adjective: sinuous

Derived forms of curve

curvedly (ˈkɜːvɪdlɪ), adverb curvedness, noun curvy, adjective

Word Origin for curve

C15: from Latin curvāre to bend, from curvus crooked

Medical definitions for curved

curve

[ kûrv ]

n.

A line or surface that deviates from straightness in a smooth, continuous fashion.

Something characterized by such a line or surface, especially a rounded line or contour of the human body.

A curved line representing variations in data on a graph.

v.

To move in or take the shape of a curve.

Scientific definitions for curved

curve

[ kûrv ]

A line or surface that bends in a smooth, continuous way without sharp angles.

The graph of a function on a coordinate plane. In this technical sense, straight lines, circles, and waves are all curves.

Idioms and Phrases with curved

curve

see throw a curve.

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

curve

noun

verb (used with object), curved, curv·ing.

verb (used without object), curved, curv·ing.

adjective

Idioms for curve

Origin of curve

OTHER WORDS FROM curve

Words nearby curve

Example sentences from the Web for curved

British Dictionary definitions for curved

noun

verb

Other words from curve

Derived forms of curve

Word Origin for curve

Medical definitions for curved

n.

v.

Scientific definitions for curved

Idioms and Phrases with curved

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

curve

noun

verb (used with object), curved, curv·ing.

verb (used without object), curved, curv·ing.

adjective

Idioms for curve

Origin of curve

OTHER WORDS FROM curve

Words nearby curve

Words related to curved

Example sentences from the Web for curved

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []) .push({}); British Dictionary definitions for curved

noun

verb

Other words from curve

Derived forms of curve

Word Origin for curve

Medical definitions for curved

n.

v.

Scientific definitions for curved

Idioms and Phrases with curved

British Dictionary definitions for curved