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Webster 1913 Edition

Curb

Curb

(kûrb)
,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Curbed
(kûrbd)
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Curbing
.]
[F.
courber
to bend, curve, L.
curvare
, fr.
curvus
bent, curved; cf. Gr.
κυρτόσ
curved. Cf.
Curve
.]
1.
To bend or curve.
[Obs.]
Crooked and
curbed
lines.
Holland.
2.
To guide and manage, or restrain, as with a curb; to bend to one’s will; to subject; to subdue; to restrain; to confine; to keep in check.
Part wield their arms, part
curb
the foaming steed.
Milton.
Where pinching want must
curb
thy warm desires.
Prior.
3.
To furnish with a curb, as a well; also, to restrain by a curb, as a bank of earth.

Curb

,
Verb.
I.
To bend; to crouch; to cringe.
[Obs.]
Virtue itself of vice must pardon beg,
Yea,
curb
and woo for leave to do him good.
Shakespeare

Curb

,
Noun.
1.
That which curbs, restrains, or subdues; a check or hindrance; esp., a chain or strap attached to the upper part of the branches of a bit, and capable of being drawn tightly against the lower jaw of the horse.
He that before ran in the pastures wild
Felt the stiff
curb
control his angry jaws.
Drayton.
By these men
,
religion
,
that should be

The
curb
, is made the spur of tyranny.
Denham.
2.
(Arch.)
An assemblage of three or more pieces of timber, or a metal member, forming a frame around an opening, and serving to maintain the integrity of that opening; also, a ring of stone serving a similar purpose, as at the eye of a dome.
3.
A frame or wall round the mouth of a well; also, a frame within a well to prevent the earth caving in.
4.
A curbstone.
5.
(Far.)
A swelling on the back part of the hind leg of a horse, just behind the lowest part of the hock joint, generally causing lameness.
James Law.
Curb bit
,
a stiff bit having branches by which a leverage is obtained upon the jaws of horse.
Knight.
–
Curb pins
(Horology)
,
the pins on the regulator which restrain the hairspring.
–
Curb plate
(Arch.)
,
a plate serving the purpose of a curb.
–
Deck curb
.
See under
Deck
.

Webster 1828 Edition

Curb

CURB

,
Noun.
1.
In the manege, a chain of iron made fast to the upper part of the branches of the bridle, in a hole called the eye, and running over the beard of the horse. It consists of three parts; the hook, fixed to the eye of the branch; the chain or links; and the two rings or mails.
2.
Restraint; check; hindrance.
Religion should operate as an effectual curb to the passions.
3.
A frame or a wall round the mouth of a well.
4.
A hard and callous swelling on the hind part of the hock of a horses leg, attended with stiffness, and sometimes pain and lameness. A tumor on the inside of a horses hoof. A swelling beneath the elbow of a horses hoof.

CURB

,
Verb.
T.
1.
To restrain; to guide and manage; as a horse.
2.
To restrain; to check; to hold back; to confine; to keep in subjection; as, to curb the passions.
And wisely learn to curb thy sorrows wild.
3.
To furnish or surround with a curb, as a well.
4.
To bend. [Not used.]

Definition 2024

curb

curb

English

curb, gutter and storm drain

Alternative forms

Noun

curb ‎(plural curbs)

  1. (Canada, US) A row of concrete along the edge of a road; a kerb (UK)
  2. A raised margin along the edge of something, such as a well or the eye of a dome, as a strengthening.
  3. Something that checks or restrains; a restraint.
    • Denham
      By these men, religion, that should be / The curb, is made the spur of tyranny.
    • 2012 April 19, Josh Halliday, “Free speech haven or lawless cesspool – can the internet be civilised?”, in the Guardian:
      She maintains that the internet should face similar curbs to TV because young people are increasingly living online. "It's totally different, someone at Google watching the video from the comfort of their office in San Francisco to someone from a council house in London, where this video is happening right outside their front door."
  4. A riding or driving bit for a horse that has rein action which amplifies the pressure in the mouth by leverage advantage placing pressure on the poll via the crown piece of the bridle and chin groove via a curb chain.
    • Drayton
      He that before ran in the pastures wild / Felt the stiff curb control his angry jaws.
  5. (Canada, US) A sidewalk, covered or partially enclosed, bordering the airport terminal road system with an adjacent paved areas to permit vehicles to off-load or load passengers.
  6. A swelling on the back part of the hind leg of a horse, just behind the lowest part of the hock joint, generally causing lameness.

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

curb ‎(third-person singular simple present curbs, present participle curbing, simple past and past participle curbed)

  1. (transitive) To check, restrain or control.
    • "Curb your dog."
    • Prior
      Where pinching want must curb thy warm desires.
  2. (transitive) To rein in.
  3. (transitive) To furnish with a curb, as a well; to restrain by a curb, as a bank of earth.
  4. (transitive) To force to "bite the curb" (hit the pavement curb); see curb stomp.
  5. (transitive) To damage vehicle wheels or tires by running into or over a pavement curb.
  6. (transitive) To bend or curve.
    • Holland
      crooked and curbed lines
  7. (intransitive) To crouch; to cringe.
    • Shakespeare
      Virtue itself of vice must pardon beg, / Yea, curb and woo for leave to do him good.

Translations

Related terms

Etymology

From Middle French courbe ‎(“curve, curved object”), from Latin curvus ‎(“bent, crooked, curved”).

Pronunciation

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