n.
Pronunciation: ' k ə r-t ə n
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English curtine, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin cortina (trans. of Greek aulaia, from aul ē court), from Latin cohort-, cohors enclosure, court ― more at COURT
Date: 14th century
1 : a hanging screen usually capable of being drawn back or up especially : window drapery
2 : a device or agency that conceals or acts as a barrier ― compare IRON CURTAIN
3 a : the part of a bastioned front that connects two neighboring bastions b (1) : a similar stretch of plain wall (2) : a nonbearing exterior wall
4 a : the movable screen separating the stage from the auditorium of a theater b : the ascent or opening (as at the beginning of a play) of a stage curtain also : its descent or closing (as at the end of an act) c : the final situation, line, or scene of an act or play d : the time at which a theatrical performance begins e plural : END especially : DEATH <it will be curtain s for us if we're caught>
– cur · tain · less \ -l ə s \ adjective