curl
verb
\ ˈkər(-ə)l
\
\
curled;
curling;
curls
Definition of curl
(Entry 1 of 3)
1
: to form into coils or ringlets
curl one's hair
2
: to form into a curved shape : twist
curled his lip in a sneer
3
: to furnish with curls
curl
nounDefinition of curl (Entry 2 of 3)
1
: a lock of hair that coils : ringlet
2
: something having a spiral or winding form : coil
4
: a curved or spiral marking in the grain of wood
5
: a hollow arch of water formed when the crest of a breaking wave spills forward
6
: a usually short pass pattern in football in which a receiver runs downfield and then curves back toward the line of scrimmage
7
: a body-building exercise in which a weight held with the palms facing up is raised and lowered by flexing only the wrists or elbows
Curl
biographical name
\ ˈkər(-ə)l
\
\
Definition of Curl (Entry 3 of 3)
Robert Floyd 1933–     American chemist
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Synonyms for curl
Synonyms: Verb
coil, corkscrew, entwine, spiral, twine, twist, wind
Synonyms: Noun
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Examples of curl in a Sentence
Verb
She curls her hair every morning. Can you curl your tongue? The baby's fingers were tightly curled. The snake curled itself around its prey. The cat curled into a ball and went to sleep. We saw smoke curling from the cottage chimney. A snake curled around his leg.Noun
Her daughter has cute blonde curls. She likes to wear her hair in curls. The conditioner will help you keep the curl of your hair. His hair has a natural curl. He did 12 wrist curls.
Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
The Italian jinked his way into a pocket of space outside the Liverpool 18-yard-box before curling the ball into the far corner, beyond the reach of Simon Mignolet. — SI.com, "Liverpool 0-3 Napoli: Report, Ratings & Reaction as Gli Azzurri Pick Apart Lethargic Reds," 28 July 2019 Camilo Sanvezzo held his arms out, connecting his curled index fingers and thumbs. — Ivan Orozco, San Diego Union-Tribune, "Xolos’ Sanvezzo scores against former team, but Tijuana falls to Queretaro," 13 Aug. 2019 The only shot taken by Orlando in the first 45 minutes of play came from Kamal Miller, who lined up and ripped a shot from long distance, but the ball curled to the left and flew just a few feet wide of the goal. — Julia Poe, Pro Soccer USA, "Orlando City grinds out 1-0 win despite stagnant night against Columbus," 14 July 2019 To get the vintage-inspired look, Cantello's team applied false lashes, curling them with a spoon to get an extreme, cat eye-like shape. — Kristen Bateman, Allure, "This Vintage False Lash Hack Is Making a Comeback on the Armani Runway," 3 July 2019 Frederik Due managed to save RÃos’ one-on-one effort, but Lebo Moloto scooped up the rebound and curled it past the Hartford keeper. — Staff Report, courant.com, "Hartford Athletic fall short against Nashville at home," 17 June 2019 His mouth curls into a wide smile before devolving into a deep belly laugh. — Matt Blitz, Popular Mechanics, "The A1000 Is Disney's Advanced Animatronic Bringing the Galaxy's Edge Star Wars Theme Park To Life," 28 Feb. 2019 One of my sisters and I were curled around her, asleep ourselves. — Jeanne Erdman, Washington Post, "At 100, my mom had dementia and needed hospice care. Getting it was nearly impossible.," 5 May 2018 Severely damaged leaves will curl and eventually drop from the plant. — OregonLive.com, "What to do when cuckoopint invades your garden: Ask an expert," 1 Feb. 2018Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
Taylor made her first VMAs appearance in 2008, resplendent in fluffy curls and a sweet white dress. — Maggie Malach, PEOPLE.com, "A Complete History of Taylor Swift at the MTV VMAs," 23 Aug. 2019 The second underdrawing more closely resembles the finished painting, though Christ’s head position has been changed and some curls have been clipped from the angel’s hair. — Jason Daley, Smithsonian, "Imaging Reveals Leonardo da Vinci Wrestled With the Composition for ‘Virgin of the Rocks’," 15 Aug. 2019 The Old Fashioned arrives at Chakib Ljazouli’s table with an orange rind, two black cherries and curls of hickory smoke licking the rim. — Phillip Valys, sun-sentinel.com, "Nice ice, baby: Fancy ‘clear ice’ taking South Florida cocktails to cooler heights," 26 July 2019 Social media posts from the festivities show Gomez looking relaxed and happy in a beautiful black off-the-shoulder gown with her hair down in loose curls. — Abby Gardner, Glamour, "Selena Gomez Was a Gorgeous Maid of Honor at Her Cousin's Wedding," 20 July 2019 Sporting a gray double-breasted suit, slicked-back curls and a slide rule, rocket engineer Wernher von Braun cuts a suave, authoritative figure in Disney’s 1955 television special Man and the Moon. — Alejandro De La Garza, Time, "How Historians Are Reckoning With the Former Nazi Who Launched America's Space Program," 18 July 2019 Problem was, my head was covered in conspicuous ginger curls. — Longreads, "Manic Street Preachers’ Album The Holy Bible," 25 June 2019 Since coming into her own as a duchess, Middleton has stuck to a consistent beauty look, relying on a subtle smoky eye and a pink glossy lip, while also wearing her hair either down in loose curls or pulling it back into a low bun. — Rachel Lubitz, refinery29.com, "Kate Middleton's Braided Chignon Is Fit For A Summer Bride," 20 June 2019 Her brunette, blonde-streaks cascaded down her face in romantic curls. — Maya Allen, Marie Claire, "Beyoncé's Eyeliner In This Selfie Deserves Its Own Moment of Silence," 7 June 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'curl.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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