curve

B1 Topic:General Vocabulary

US /kɚv/ UK /kɜːv/ See IPA manual

Freq #8406

Meanings

1

noun
A smooth bend in a line, road, or surface, without sharp angles.

You should slow down when you approach a curve in the road.
2

verb
To bend in a smooth, rounded shape.

The road curves to the left after the bridge.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a smooth bend in a line,... bend

2 verb · to bend in a smooth,... bend arch arc

Word family

Forms curvescurvingincurving

Derived forms aerocurvecountercurvecurvaceouscurveballcurvelesscurveletcurvesomecurvilinearcurvimetercurvyeigencurveepicurve

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

characteristic curve
a graph showing how a device's behavior changes with another measured quantity

Adjective + noun

Simplified etymology

Curve entered English in late Middle English and comes from Latin curvare “to bend,” also the ultimate source of curb.

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.

*(s)ker- (turn) Proto-Indo-European curvus Latin *(s)ker- Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

Topics

General Vocabulary

External links

# curve

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** noun, verb
**IPA (US):** /kɚv/
**IPA (UK):** /kɜːv/
**Frequency rank:** 8406

## Meanings
1. A smooth bend in a line, road, or surface, without sharp angles.
2. To bend in a smooth, rounded shape.

## Examples
- You should slow down when you approach a curve in the road.
- The road curves to the left after the bridge.

## Derived Forms
- aerocurve
- countercurve
- curvaceous
- curveball
- curveless
- curvelet
- curvesome
- curvilinear
- curvimeter
- curvy
- eigencurve
- epicurve

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *(s)ker- (turn)
- Root: curvus
- Root: *(s)ker-

## 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.

## AI Etymology
curve is 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. The historical chain includes Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker- (turn), Latin curvus, Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker-. Current senses include A smooth bend in a line, road, or surface, without sharp angles and to bend in a smooth, rounded shape. English relatives and later formations include aerocurve, countercurve, curvaceous.

## Topics
- General Vocabulary

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