curl

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   A piece of hair that grows or is shaped in a curved, spiral form.

   The baby had soft blonde curls.

2. 2
   verb

   To form or twist into a curved or spiral shape.

   Smoke curled up from the chimney.

3. 3
   verb

   To bend your body into a rounded, comfortable position.

   The cat curled up by the fire and fell asleep.

From metathesis of Middle English crulle (“curled, curly”), of uncertain origin but probably from an unrecorded Old English word or 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 Bokmål krøll (“curl”). Related also to Saterland Frisian Kruus (“curl”), German kraus (“frizzy, crum…

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