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curtsy

 - 3 dictionary results

curt⋅sy

  [kurt-see] noun, plural -sies, verb, -sied, -sy⋅ing.
Use curtsy in a Sentence
–noun
1. a respectful bow made by women and girls, consisting of bending the knees and lowering the body.
–verb (used without object)
2. to make a curtsy.
Origin:
1520–30; var. of courtesy
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To curtsy
curt·sy or curt·sey   (kûrt'sē)   
n.   pl. curt·sies or curt·seys
A gesture of respect or reverence made chiefly by women by bending the knees with one foot forward and lowering the body.
intr.v.   curt·sied or curt·seyed, curt·sy·ing or curt·sey·ing, curt·sies or curt·seys
To make a curtsy.

[Variant of courtesy.]
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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Word Origin & History

curtsy 
1575, "bending the knee and lowering the body as a gesture of respect," a 16c. variant of courtesy (q.v.). Not originally exclusively feminine.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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