[ker-teyl] 
| to cut short; cut off a part of; abridge; reduce; diminish. |
[kur-teyl] | 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. |
| 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. |
