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curtail - 6 dictionary results
cur⋅tail
1
[ker-teyl] 
–verb (used with object)
| to cut short; cut off a part of; abridge; reduce; diminish. |
cur⋅tail
2 [kur-teyl] –noun Architecture.
| 1. | a horizontal, spiral termination to the lower end of a stair railing. |
| 2. | Also called curtail step. a starting step having a scroll termination to one or both ends of the tread. |
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Link To curtail
| cur·tail (kər-tāl') tr.v. cur·tailed, cur·tail·ing, cur·tails To cut short or reduce. See Synonyms at shorten. [Middle English curtailen, to restrict, probably blend of Old French courtauld, docked; see curtal, and Middle English taillen, to cut (from Old French tailler; see tailor).] cur·tail'er n., cur·tail'ment n. |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Curtail
Cur*tail"\ (k[u^]r*t[=a]l"), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Curtailed (-t[=a]ld"); p. pr. & vb. n. Curtailing.] [See Curtal.] To cut off the end or tail, or any part, of; to shorten; to abridge; to diminish; to reduce. I, that am curtailed of this fair proportion. --Shak. Our incomes have been curtailed; his salary has been doubled. --Macaulay.Curtail
Cur"tail\ (k?r"t?l), n. The scroll termination of any architectural member, as of a step, etc.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Language Translation for : curtail
Spanish:
acortar, restringir,
German:
verkürzen,
Japanese:
切り詰める
curtail
c.1471, from M.Fr. courtault "made short," from court "short," from L. curtus (see curt) + -ault pejorative suffix of Gmc. origin. Originally curtal; used of horses with docked tails, which probably influenced the spelling.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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