Definition of CURL

curl

Plural: curls

Noun

  • a round shape formed by a series of concentric circles (as formed by leaves or flower petals)
  • American chemist who with Richard Smalley and Harold Kroto discovered fullerenes and opened a new branch of chemistry (born in 1933)
  • a strand or cluster of hair
  • A curving piece or lock of hair; a ringlet.
  • A curved stroke or shape.
  • A spin making the trajectory of an object curve.
  • Movement of a moving rock away from a straight line.
  • Any exercise performed by bending the arm, wrist, or leg on the exertion against resistance, especially those that train the biceps.
  • The vector field denoting the rotationality of a given vector field.
  • The vector operator, denoted rm curl; or ⃑∇×⃑(·), that generates this field.
  • Any of various diseases of plants causing the leaves or shoots to curl up; often specifically the potato curl.
  • The contrasting light and dark figure seen in wood used for stringed instrument making; the flame.
  • A pattern where the receiver appears to be running a fly pattern but after a set number of steps or yards quickly stops and turns around, looking for a pass.
  • A thin, curved piece of chocolate used as decoration.
  • The concave part of a breaking wave.

Verb

Verb Forms: curled, curling, curls

  • To form into a coil or ringlet shape.
  • form a curl, curve, or kink
    • "the cigar smoke curled up at the ceiling"
  • shape one's body into a curl
    • "She curled farther down under the covers"
  • wind around something in coils or loops
  • twist or roll into coils or ringlets
    • "curl my hair, please"
  • play the Scottish game of curling
  • To cause to move in a curve.
  • To make into a curl or spiral.
  • To assume the shape of a curl or spiral.
  • To move in curves.
  • To take part in the sport of curling.
  • To exercise by bending the arm, wrist, or leg on the exertion against resistance, especially of the biceps.
  • To twist or form (the hair, etc.) into ringlets.
  • To deck with, or as if with, curls; to ornament.
  • To raise in waves or undulations; to ripple.
  • To shape (the brim of a hat) into a curve.

Examples

  • He watched the letters CURL around the double-word score, hoping for a bingo.
  • I curl at my local club every weekend.
  • The curl of the vector field #92;vec#123;F#125;(x,y,z) is the vector field #92;operatorname#123;curl#125;#92;,#92;vec#123;F#125;#92;equiv#92;vec#123;#92;nabla#125;#92;times#92;vec#123;F#125;#61;#92;left(#92;frac#123;#92;partialF#95;z#125;#123;#92;partialy#125;-#92;frac#123;#92;partialF#95;y#125;#123;#92;partialz#125;,#92;frac#123;#92;partialF#95;x#125;#123;#92;partialz#125;-#92;frac#123;#92;partialF#95;z#125;#123;#92;partialx#125;,#92;frac#123;#92;partialF#95;y#125;#123;#92;partialx#125;-#92;frac#123;#92;partialF#95;x#125;#123;#92;partialy#125;#92;right).
  • The one-piece back is of a medium curl.

Origin / Etymology

From metathesis of Middle English crulle (“curled, curly”), from Middle Dutch crul, crulle (“curl”), ultimately from Proto-Germanic *kruzlǭ (“bent or crooked object, curl”), connected to *krūsą (“curl”), of unknown origin.
Cognate with Saterland Frisian Krulle (“curl, lock”), West Frisian krul (“curl”), Dutch krul (“curl”), German Low German Krull (“curl”), dialectal German Krolle (“curl”), Danish krølle (“curl”), Norwegian krull (“curl”). Related also to Saterland Frisian Kruus (“curl”), German kraus (“frizzy, crumpled, curly”), Danish krus (“curl”), Swedish krusa (“to crimp, curl”). Compare also Gothic 𐌺𐍂𐌹𐌿𐍃𐍄𐌰𐌽 (kriustan, “to grind, crush, gnash”).

Synonyms

coil, curl up, curlicue, curve, draw in, gyre, kink, lock, loop, ringlet, Robert Curl, Robert F. Curl, Robert Floyd Curl Jr., roll, scroll, wave, whorl, arch, flourish, mul:∇×, roll up, spiral

Scrabble Score: 6

curl: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
curl: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
curl: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 9

curl: valid Words With Friends Word