cur ‧ few /ˈkɜːfjuː $ ˈkɜːr-/ BrE AmE noun [uncountable and countable]
[ Date: 1200-1300 ; Language: Old French ; Origin: covrefeu 'signal to put out fires, curfew' , from covrir 'to cover' + feu 'fire' ]
1 . a law that forces people to stay indoors after a particular time at night, or the time people must be indoors:
The government imposed a night-time curfew throughout the country.
The curfew was lifted (=ended) on May 6th.
The whole town was placed under curfew.
Anyone found in the streets after curfew was shot.
2 . American English the time, decided by a parent, by which a child must be home or asleep in the evening