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curved

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curve

  [kurv] noun, verb, curved, curv⋅ing, adjective
Use curved in a Sentence
–noun
1. a continuously bending line, without angles.
2. the act or extent of curving.
3. any curved outline, form, thing, or part.
4. a curved section of a road, path, hallway, etc.
5. Railroads. a curved section of track: in the U.S. the curve is often expressed as the central angle, measured in degrees, of a curved section of track subtended by a chord 100 ft. (30 m) long (degree of curve).
6. Also called curve ball. Baseball.
a. a pitch delivered with a spin that causes the ball to veer from a normal straight path, away from the side from which it was thrown.
b. the course of such a pitched ball.
7. a graphic representation of the variations effected in something by the influence of changing conditions; graph.
8. Mathematics. a collection of points whose coordinates are continuous functions of a single independent variable.
9. a misleading or deceptive trick; cheat; deception.
10. Education. a grading system based on the scale of performance of a group, so that those performing better, regardless of their actual knowledge of the subject, receive high grades: The new English professor marks on a curve. Compare absolute (def. 10).
11. a curved guide used in drafting.
–verb (used with object)
12. to bend in a curve; cause to take the course of a curve.
13. to grade on a curve.
14. Baseball. to pitch a curve to.
–verb (used without object)
15. to bend in a curve; take the course of a curve.
–adjective
16. curved.
—Idioms
17. ahead of (or behind) the curve, at the forefront of (or lagging behind) recent developments, trends, etc.
18. throw (someone) a curve,
a. to take (someone) by surprise, esp. in a negative way.
b. to mislead or deceive.
Origin:
1565–75; (< MF) < L curvus crooked, bent, curved

Related forms:
curv⋅ed⋅ly  [kur-vid-lee] , adverb
curv⋅ed⋅ness, noun
curveless, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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curve   (kûrv)   
n.  

    1. A line that deviates from straightness in a smooth, continuous fashion.

    2. A surface that deviates from planarity in a smooth, continuous fashion.

    3. Something characterized by such a line or surface, especially a rounded line or contour of the human body.

    4. A line representing data on a graph.

    5. A trend derived from or as if from such a graph: "Once again, the politicians are behind the curve" (Ted Kennedy).

    6. The graph of a function on a coordinate plane.

    7. The intersection of two surfaces in three dimensions.

    8. The graph of the solutions to any equation of two variables.

  2. A relatively smooth bend in a road or other course.

    1. A line representing data on a graph.

    2. A trend derived from or as if from such a graph: "Once again, the politicians are behind the curve" (Ted Kennedy).

    3. The graph of a function on a coordinate plane.

    4. The intersection of two surfaces in three dimensions.

    5. The graph of the solutions to any equation of two variables.

  4. A graphic representation showing the relative performance of individuals as measured against each other, used especially as a method of grading students in which the assignment of grades is based on predetermined proportions of students.

  5. Mathematics

    1. The graph of a function on a coordinate plane.

    2. The intersection of two surfaces in three dimensions.

    3. The graph of the solutions to any equation of two variables.

  6. Baseball A curve ball.

  7. Slang Something that is unexpected or designed to trick or deceive.

v.   curved, curv·ing, curves

v.   intr.
To move in or take the shape of a curve: The path curves around the lake.
v.   tr.

  1. To cause to curve. See Synonyms at bend1.

  2. Baseball To pitch a curve ball to.

  3. To grade (students, for example) on a curve.


[From Middle English, curved, from Latin curvus; see sker-2 in Indo-European roots. N., sense 6, short for curve ball.]
curv'ed·ness n., curv'y adj.
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

curve  (v.)
1594, from L. curvus "crooked, curved, bent," from PIE base *(s)ker- "to turn, bend" (see ring). The noun is attested from 1696, "curved line;" with ref. to the female figure (usually pl.), from 1862; as a type of baseball pitch, from 1879. Curvaceous is Amer.Eng., 1936 (first reference is to Mae West), with facetious use of botanical suffix.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

curve (kûrv)
n.

  1. A line or surface that deviates from straightness in a smooth, continuous fashion.

  2. Something characterized by such a line or surface, especially a rounded line or contour of the human body.

  3. A curved line representing variations in data on a graph.

v. curved, curv·ing, curves
To move in or take the shape of a curve.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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