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Webster 1913 Edition

Curtail

Cur-tail′

(kŭr-tāl′)
,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Curtailed
(-tāld′)
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Curtailing
.]
[See
Curtal
.]
To cut off the end or tail, or any part, of; to shorten; to abridge; to diminish; to reduce.
I, that am
curtailed
of this fair proportion.
Shakespeare
Our incomes have been
curtailed
; his salary has been doubled.
Macaulay.

Cur′tail

(k?r′t?l)
,
Noun.
The scroll termination of any architectural member, as of a step, etc.

Webster 1828 Edition

Curtail

CURTAIL

,
Verb.
T.
[L., to cut; edge.] To shorten; to cut off the end or a part; as, to curtail words. Hence in a more general sense, to shorten in any manner; to abridge; to diminish; as, to curtail our privileges. It is followed by of before the thing shortened. His name was curtailed of three letters. We are curtailed of our rights.

Definition 2024

curtail

curtail

English

Verb

curtail ‎(third-person singular simple present curtails, present participle curtailing, simple past and past participle curtailed)

  1. (transitive, obsolete) To cut short the tail of an animal
    Curtailing horses procured long horse-hair.
  2. (transitive) To shorten or abridge the duration of something; to truncate.
    When the audience grew restless, the speaker curtailed her speech.
  3. (transitive, figuratively) To limit or restrict, keep in check.
    Their efforts to curtail spending didn't quite succeed.
    • Macaulay
      Our incomes have been curtailed; his salary has been doubled.

Synonyms

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

Noun

curtail ‎(plural curtails)

  1. (architecture) A scroll termination, as of a step, etc.

Anagrams

Etymology

Alteration of curtal, from Old French courtault ‎(“which has been shortened”), itself from court ‎(“short”) (from Latin curtus) + -ault

Pronunciation

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