curl

Meaning

Noun

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. (proper-noun) The vector operator, denoted rm curl; or ⃑∇×⃑(·), that generates this field.
8. (uncountable) 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. (in-plural) A thin, curved piece of chocolate used as decoration.
12. The concave part of a breaking wave.

Verb

1. (transitive) To cause to move in a curve.
2. (transitive) To make into a curl or spiral.
3. (intransitive) To assume the shape of a curl or spiral.
4. (intransitive) To move in curves.
5. (intransitive) To take part in the sport of curling.
6. (transitive) To exercise by bending the arm, wrist, or leg on the exertion against resistance, especially of the biceps.
7. To twist or form (the hair, etc.) into ringlets.
8. To deck with, or as if with, curls; to ornament.
9. To raise in waves or undulations; to ripple.
10. To shape (the brim of a hat) into a curve.

Synonyms

ringlet

twist

coil

lock

🔒

curve

wind

swirl

spiral

crimp

wave

👋

roll

whorl

frizz

curl up

bend

loop

➿

frizzle

twine

wreathe

whirl

crisp

twirl

scroll

📜

contort

warp

crinkle

lock of hair

turn

shrivel

huddle

roll up

spin

curlicue

kink

ruffle

curly hair

draw in

do

tress

undulation

shirr

snake

🐍

helix

gyre

rotation

screw

curling

ring

💍

eddy

wind around

Translations

Locke

ricciolo

boucle

➿

rizo

friser

riccio

courber

arricciare

bucle

recroqueviller

cacho

rizar

κατσαρώνω

boccolo

krul

Pronounced as (IPA)

/kɜːl/

Etymology

Cognate with Persian: گرس

Cognate with Saterland Frisian: Krulle

Cognate with Western Frisian: krul

Cognate with Dutch: krul

Cognate with German: Krolle

Cognate with Danish: krølle

Cognate with Norwegian: krull

Cognate with Saterland Frisian: Kruus

Cognate with German: kraus

Cognate with Danish: krus

Cognate with Swedish: krusa

Cognate with Gothic: 𐌺𐍂𐌹𐌿𐍃𐍄𐌰𐌽

In summary

From metathesis of Middle English crulle (“curled, curly”), of uncertain origin but probably from an unrecorded Old English word or from Middle Dutch crul, crulle (“curl”), ultimately from Proto-Germanic *kruzlǭ (“bent or crooked object, curl”), connected to *krūsą (“curl”), of unknown origin.
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 Bokmål krøll (“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”).