curtail 1
— curtailedly , adv. — curtailer , n. — curtailment , n.
/keuhr tayl"/ , v.t.
to cut short; cut off a part of; abridge; reduce; diminish.
[ 1425-75; late ME curtailen to restrict (said of royal succession or inheritance), prob. a conflation of MF courtau ( l ) d (see CURTAL) and ME taillen to cut (see TAILLE, TAILOR) ]
Syn . lessen, dock. See shorten .
curtail 2
/kerr"tayl'/ , n. Archit.
1. a horizontal, spiral termination to the lower end of a stair railing.
2. Also called curtail step . a starting step having a scroll termination to one or both ends of the tread.
[ prob. alter., by folk etym., of CURTAL ]