■ adjective
1》 firm, dry, and brittle, especially in a way considered pleasing.
↘(of hair) having tight curls.
2》 (of the weather) cool, fresh, and invigorating.
3》 (of a way of speaking) briskly decisive and matter-of-fact.
■ noun (also potato ~ ) Brit. a wafer-thin slice of potato fried until ~ and eaten as a snack.
■ verb
1》 give (food) a ~ surface by placing it in an oven or grill.
2》 archaic curl into short, stiff, wavy folds or crinkles.
Phrases
burn to a ~ burn so as to leave only a charred remnant.
Derivatives
~iness noun
~ly adverb
~ness noun
~y adjective ( ~ier , ~iest ).
Origin
OE: from L. ~us 'curled'.