curb

C2+ Topic:Transportation

US /kɜrb/ UK /kɜːb/ See IPA manual

verb noun

Meanings

1

verb
to restrain or keep in check; a raised edge along a street

The new law aims to curb excessive spending.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to restrain or keep in... restrain check control limit suppresskerb

Opposites

encourage release unleash incite

Word family

Forms curbless

Derived forms curbside

Related forms curve

Etymology

From Old French courbe ('a curve, curved thing'), from Latin curvus ('bent, curved'); the verb sense 'to restrain' arose from the curb-chain controlling a horse.

courbe Old French curvus Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Transportation

# curb

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** verb, noun
**IPA (US):** kɜrb
**IPA (UK):** kɜːb

## Meanings
1. to restrain or keep in check; a raised edge along a street

## Examples
- The new law aims to curb excessive spending.

## Synonyms
- restrain
- check
- control
- limit
- suppress
- kerb

## Antonyms
- encourage
- release
- unleash
- incite

## Derived Forms
- curbside

## Related Forms
- curve

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: courbe
- Root: curvus

## Etymology
From Old French courbe ('a curve, curved thing'), from Latin curvus ('bent, curved'); the verb sense 'to restrain' arose from the curb-chain controlling a horse.

## AI Etymology
Curb comes from Old French courbe ('a curve, curved thing'), from Latin curvus ('bent, curved'); the verb sense 'to restrain' arose from the curb-chain controlling a horse. The historical trail runs through Old French courbe and Latin curvus. The later sense follows a semantic development already present in the word's history. In modern use it means to restrain or keep in check; a raised edge along a street. Derived formations include curbside; related forms include curve.

## Topics
- Transportation

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curb

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