CURVE


Meaning of CURVE in English

/ kɜːv; NAmE kɜːrv/ noun , verb

■ noun

1.

a line or surface that bends gradually; a smooth bend :

the delicate curve of her ear

a pattern of straight lines and curves

( especially NAmE )

a curve in the road

( especially NAmE )

The driver lost control on a curve and the vehicle hit a tree.

to plot a curve on a graph

( technical )

the unemployment-income curve (= a line on a graph showing the relationship between the number of unemployed people and national income)

—see also learning curve

2.

(also ˈcurve ball ) ( NAmE ) ( in baseball ) a ball that moves in a curve when it is thrown to the batter :

( figurative )

One of the journalists threw the senator a curve (= surprised him by asking a difficult question) .

■ verb

[usually + adv. / prep. ] to move or make sth move in the shape of a curve; to be in the shape of a curve :

[ v ]

The road curved around the bay.

The ball curved through the air.

His lips curved in a smile.

[also vn ]

••

WORD ORIGIN

late Middle English : from Latin curvare to bend, from curvus bent. The noun dates from the late 17th cent.

Oxford Advanced Learner's English Dictionary.      Оксфордский английский словарь для изучающик язык на продвинутом уровне.