curve
Plural: curves
Noun
- the trace of a point whose direction of motion changes
- a line on a graph representing data
- a pitch of a baseball that is thrown with spin so that its path curves as it approaches the batter
- the property possessed by the curving of a line or surface
- curved segment (of a road or river or railroad track etc.)
- A gentle bend, such as in a road.
- A simple figure containing no straight portions and no angles; a curved line.
- A grading system based on the scale of performance of a group used to normalize a right-skewed grade distribution (with more lower scores) into a bell curve, so that more can receive higher grades, regardless of their actual knowledge of the subject.
- A continuous map from a one-dimensional space to a multidimensional space.
- A one-dimensional figure of non-zero length; the graph of a continuous map from a one-dimensional space.
- An algebraic curve; a polynomial relation of the planar coordinates.
- A one-dimensional continuum.
- The attractive shape of a woman's body.
Verb
Verb Forms: curved, curving, curves
- To deviate or cause to deviate from a straight line; to bend.
- turn sharply; change direction abruptly
- extend in curves and turns
- form an arch or curve
- "her hips curve nicely"
- bend or cause to bend
- "the road curved sharply"
- form a curl, curve, or kink
- To bend; to crook.
- To cause to swerve from a straight course.
- To bend or turn gradually from a given direction.
- To grade on a curve (bell curve of a normal distribution).
- (slang) To reject, to turn down romantic advances.
Adj
- Bent without angles; crooked; curved.
Examples
- a curve line
- a curve surface
- He tried to CURVE the opponent’s strategy by blocking their best letter lanes.
- I was once curved three times by the same woman.
- She scribbled a curve on the paper.
- the road curves to the right
- The teacher was nice and graded the test on a curve.
- The teacher will curve the test.
- to curve a ball in pitching it
- to curve a line
- to curve a pipe
- You should slow down when approaching a curve.
Origin / Etymology
Attested since the 1690s, from Latin curvus (“bent, curved”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker- (“to bend, curve, turn”) + *-wós. Doublet of curb, shrink, carcer, and cancer.
Synonyms
arc, arch, bend, bender, breaking ball, crook, curl, curvature, curve ball, curved shape, cut, kink, sheer, slew, slue, swerve, trend, twist, veer, wind
Antonyms
straight line
Scrabble Score: 10
curve: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Wordcurve: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
curve: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary