curl

 
Pronunciation: /kəːl/

verb

  • 1form or cause to form into a curved or spiral shape: [no object]: her fingers curled round the microphone a slice of ham had begun to curl up at the edges [with object]: she used to curl her hair with rags
  • [no object] (curl up) sit or lie with the knees drawn up: she curled up and went to sleep
  • move or cause to move in a spiral or curved course: [no object, with adverbial of direction]: a wisp of smoke curling across the sky
  • (with reference to one’s mouth or upper lip) raise or cause to raise slightly on one side as an expression of contempt or disapproval: [no object]: Maria saw his lip curl sardonically
  • 2(in weight training) lift (a weight) using only the hands, wrists, and forearms: slowly curl the barbell to shoulder height
  • 3 [no object] play at the game of curling: during the severe spell in 1740, men curled on the pond

noun

  • 1something in the shape of a spiral or coil, especially a lock of hair: her blonde hair was a mass of tangled curls a curl of blue smoke
  • a curling movement: the sneering curl of his lip
  • (with reference to a person’s hair) a state or condition of being curled: your hair has a natural curl [mass noun]: large perm rods give volume and control rather than lots of curl
  • see leaf curl.
  • 2a weightlifting exercise involving movement of only the hands, wrists, and forearms: a dumb-bell curl
  • 3 Mathematics a function giving a measure of the rotation of a vector field.

Phrases

make someone's hair curl

informal shock or horrify someone: she drives at a speed to make your hair curl

Origin:

late Middle English: from obsolete crulle 'curly', from Middle Dutch krul