curl

Meaning

1. A curving piece or lock of hair; a ringlet.
2. A curved stroke or shape.
3. A spin making the trajectory of an object curve.
4. Movement of a moving rock away from a straight line.
5. Any exercise performed by bending the arm, wrist, or leg on the exertion against resistance, especially those that train the biceps.
6. The vector field denoting the rotationality of a given vector field.
7. The vector operator, denoted rm curl; or ⃑∇×⃑(·), that generates this field.
8. Any of various diseases of plants causing the leaves or shoots to curl up; often specifically the potato curl.
9. The contrasting light and dark figure seen in wood used for stringed instrument making; the flame.
10. A pattern where the receiver appears to be running a fly pattern but after a set number of steps or yards quickly stops and turns around, looking for a pass.
11. A thin, curved piece of chocolate used as decoration.

ringlet

twist

lock of hair

curly hair

wind around

sleep curled up

flanged edge

raised edge

become coiled

be curly

pilus tortus

looped pile

twisted hair

loop pile

be crooked

oblique setting

billow

skeller

bouclé

tress of hair

wavy hair

be twisted

spinor

cut notches

friz

move tortuously

curly lock of hair

birle

sausage curl

Frequency

Pronounced as (IPA)

/kɜːl/

From metathesis of Middle English crulle (“curled, curly”), from Middle Dutch crul, crulle (“curl”), ultimately from Proto-Germanic *kruzlǭ (“bent or crooked object, curl”), of unknown origin; possibly from Pre-Germanic *grus-, contracted from Proto-Indo-European *gurus- (“twist, curl”), same source as Persian گرس (gors, “braid of hair”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian Krulle (“curl, lock”), West Frisian krul (“curl”), Dutch krul (“curl”), German Low German Krull (“curl”), dialectal German Krolle (“curl”), Danish krølle (“curl”), Norwegian krull (“curl”). Related also to Saterland Frisian Kruus (“curl”), German kraus (“frizzy, crumpled, curly”), Danish krus (“curl”), Swedish krusa (“to crimp, curl”). Compare also Gothic 𐌺𐍂𐌹𐌿𐍃𐍄𐌰𐌽 (kriustan, “to grind, crush, gnash”).