Chapter 379

Cur"so*ri*ly (k?r"s?-r?-l?) , adv. In a running or hasty manner; carelessly.

Cursoriness <Xpage=357>

Cur"so*ri*ness , n. The quality of being cursory; superficial performance; as, cursoriness of view .

Cursory <Xpage=357>

Cur"so*ry (k?r"s?-r?) , a. [L. cursorius , fr. cursor . See Cursor .] 1. Running about; not stationary. [Obs.]

2. Characterized by haste; hastily or superficially performed; slight; superficial; careless.

Events far too important to be treated in a cursory manner. Hallam.

Curst <Xpage=357>

Curst (k?rst) , imp. & p.p. of Curse .

Curst <Xpage=357>

Curst , a. [See Curse .] Froward; malignant; mischievous; malicious; snarling. [Obs.]

Though his mind Be ne'er so curst , his tonque is kind. Crashaw.

Curstfully <Xpage=357>

Curst"ful*ly (-f?l-l?) , adv. Peevishly; vexatiously; detestably. [Obs.] " Curstfully mad. "

Marston.

<page="358"> Page 358

Curtsness <Xpage=358>

Curts"ness (k?rst"n?s) , n. Peevishness; malignity; frowardness; crabbedness; surliness. [Obs.]

Shak.

Curt <Xpage=358>

Curt (k?rt) , a. [L. curtus ; cf. Skr. kart to cut. Cf. Curtail .] Characterized by exessive brevity; short; rudely concise; as, curt limits; a curt answer.

The curt , yet comprehensive reply. W. Irving.

Curtail <Xpage=358>

Cur*tail" (k?r-t?l") , v. t. [ imp. & p.p. Curtailed (-t?ld") ; 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. Shak.

Our incomes have been curtailed ; his salary has been doubled. Macualay.

Curtail <Xpage=358>

Cur"tail (k?r"t?l) , n. The scroll termination of any architectural member, as of a step, etc.

Curtail dog <Xpage=358>

Cur"tail dog` (d<?/g`; 115) . A dog with a docked tail; formerly, the dog of a person not qualified to course, which, by the forest laws, must have its tail cut short, partly as a mark, and partly from a notion that the tail is necessary to a dog in running; hence, a dog not fit for sporting.

Hope is a curtail dog in some affairs. Shak.

Curtailer <Xpage=358>

Cur*tail"er (k?r-t?l"?r) , n. One who curtails.

Curtailment <Xpage=358>

Cur*tail"ment (k?r-t?l"m e nt) , n. The act or result of curtailing or cutting off.

Bancroft.

Curtain <Xpage=358>

Cur"tain (k?r"t?n; 48) , n. [OE. cortin , curtin ,fr. OF. cortine , curtine , F. courtine , LL. cortina , curtian (in senses 1 and 2), also, small court, small inclosure surrounded by walls, from cortis court. See Court .]

1. A hanging screen intended to darken or conceal, and admitting of being drawn back or up, and reclosed at pleasure; esp., drapery of cloth or lace hanging round a bed or at a window; in theaters, and like places, a movable screen for concealing the stage.

2. (Fort.) That part of the rampart and parapet which is between two bastions or two gates. See Illustrations of Ravelin and Bastion .

3. (Arch.) That part of a wall of a building which is between two pavilions, towers, etc.

4. A flag; an ensign; -- in contempt. [Obs.]

Shak.

Behind the curtain , in concealment; in secret. -- Curtain lecture , a querulous lecture given by a wife to her husband within the bed curtains, or in bed.

Jerrold.

A curtain lecture is worth all the sermons in the world for teaching the virtues of patience and long-suffering. W. Irving.

-- The curtain falls , the performance closes. -- The curtain rises , the performance begins. -- To draw the curtain , to close ot over an object, or to remove it; hence: (a) To hide or to disclose an object. (b) To commence or close a performance. -- To drop the curtain , to end the tale, or close the performance.

Curtain <Xpage=358>

Cur"tain , v. t. [ imp. & p.p. Curtained (-t?nd; 48) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Curtaining .] To inclose as with curtains; to furnish with curtains.

So when the sun in bed Curtained with cloudy red. Milton.

Curtal <Xpage=358>

Cur"tal (k?r"t a l) , a. [OF. courtault , F. courtaud , having a docked tail (cf. It. cortaldo ), fr. court short, L. curtus . See Curt , and Curtail .] Curt; brief; laconic.

Essays and curtal aphorisms. Milton.

Curtal dog . See Curtail dog .

Curtal <Xpage=358>

Cur"tal , n. A horse with a docked tail; hence, anything cut short. [Obs]

Nares.

Curtal axks, Curtle ax, Curtelasse <Xpage=358>

Cur"tal ax` (?ks`) , Cur"tle ax` , Curte"lasse (k?rt"l as ) . A corruption of Cutlass .

Curtal friar <Xpage=358>

Cur"tal fri`ar (fr?`?r) . A friar who acted as porter at the gate of a monastery.

Sir W. Scott.

Curtana <Xpage=358>

Cur*ta"na (k?r-t?"n?) , n. The pointless sword carried before English monarchs at their coronation, and emblematically considered as the sword of mercy; -- also called the sword of Edward the Confessor .

Curtate <Xpage=358>

Cur"tate (k?r"t?t) , a. [L. curtatus , p.p. of curtare to shorten, fr. curtus . See Curt .] (Astron.) Shortened or reduced; -- said of the distance of a planet from the sun or earth, as measured in the plane of the ecliptic, or the distance from the sun or earth to that point where a perpendicular, let fall from the planet upon the plane of the ecliptic, meets the ecliptic.

Curtate cycloid . (Math.) See Cycloid .

Curtation <Xpage=358>

Cur*ta"tion (k?r-t?"sh?n) , n. (Astron.) The interval by which the curtate distance of a planet is less than the true distance.

Curtein <Xpage=358>

Cur*tein" (k?r-t?n") , n. Same as Curtana .

Curtes <Xpage=358>

Cur*tes" (k?r-t?s") , a. Courteous. [Obs.] Chaucer .

Curtesy <Xpage=358>

Cur"te*sy (k?r"t?-s?) , n. ; pl. Curtesies (-s<?/z) . [Either fr. courlesy , the lands being held as it were by favor; or fr. court (LL. curtis ), the husband being regarded as holding the lands as a vassal of the court. See Court , Courtesy .] (Law) the life estate which a husband has in the lands of his deceased wife, which by the common law takes effect where he has had issue by her, born alive, and capable of inheriting the lands.

Mozley & W.

Curtilage <Xpage=358>

Cur"ti*lage (k<?/r"t<?/-l<?/j) , n. [OF. cortillage , curtillage , fr. cortil court, courtyard, LL. cortis court. See Court .] (Law) A yard, courtyard, or piece of ground, included within the fence surrounding a dwelling house.

Burrill.

Curtly <Xpage=358>

Curt"ly (k?rt"l?) , adv. In a curt manner.

Curtness <Xpage=358>

Curt"ness , n. The quality of bing curt.

Curtsy <Xpage=358>

Curt"sy (k?rt"s?) , n. Same as Courtesy , an act of respect.

Curule <Xpage=358>

Cu"rule (k?"r?l) , a. [L. curulis , fr. currus a charoit: cf. F. curule .] 1. Of or pertaining to a charoit.

2. (Rom. Antiq.) Of or pertaining to a kind of chair appropriated to Roman magistrates and dignitaries; pertaining to, having, or conferring, the right to sit in the curule chair; hence, official.

&hand; The curule chair was usually shaped like a camp stool, and provided with curved legs. It was at first ornamented with ivory, and later sometimes made of ivory and inlaid with gold.

Curule dignity right of sitting in the curule chair.

Cururo <Xpage=358>

Cu*ru"ro (k??-r??"r?) , n. [Chilian name.] (Zo\'94l.) A Chilian burrowing rodent of the genus Spalacopus .

Curval krv a l, Curvant <Xpage=358>

Cur"val (k?r"v a l) , Cur"vant (-v a nt) , a. [L. curvans , p . pr . ] (Her.) Bowed; bent; curved.

Curvate krvt, Curvated <Xpage=358>

Cur"vate (k?r"v?t) , Cur"va*ted (-v?-t?d) , a. [L. curvatus p. p. of curvare to curve, fr. curvus . See Curve .] Bent in a regular form; curved.

Curvation <Xpage=358>

Cur*va"tion (k?r-v?"sh?n) , n. [L. curvatio .] The act of bending or crooking.

Curvative <Xpage=358>

Cur"va*tive (k?r"v?-t?v) , a. (Bot.) Having the margins only a little curved; -- said of leaves.

Henslow.

Curvature <Xpage=358>

Cur"va*ture (k?r"v?-t?r; 135) , n. [L. curvatura . See Curvate .] 1. The act of curving, or the state of being bent or curved; a curving or bending, normal or abnormal, as of a line or surface from a rectilinear direction; a bend; a curve.

Cowper.

The elegant curvature of their fronds. Darwin.

2. (Math.) The amount of degree of bending of a mathematical curve, or the tendency at any point to depart from a tangent drawn to the curve at that point.

Aberrancy of curvature (Geom.) , the deviation of a curve from a curcular form. - Absolute curvature . See under Absolute . -- Angle of curvature (Geom.) , one that expresses the amount of curvature of a curve. -- Chord of curvature . See under Chord . -- Circle of curvature . See Osculating circle of a curve , under Circle . -- Curvature of the spine (Med.) , an abnormal curving of the spine, especially in a lateral direction. -- Radius of curvature , the radius of the circle of curvature, or osculatory circle, at any point of a curve.

Curve <Xpage=358>

Curve (k?rv) , a. [L. curvus bent, curved. See Cirb .] Bent without angles; crooked; curved; as, a curve line; a curve surface.

Curve <Xpage=358>

Curve , n. [See Curve , a. , Cirb .] 1. A bending without angles; that wcich is bent; a flexure; as, a curve in a railway or canal .

2. (Geom.) A line described according to some low, and having no finite portion of it a straight line.

Axis of a curve . See under Axis . -- Curve of quickest descent . See Brachystochrone . -- Curve tracing (Math.) , the process of determining the shape, location, singular points, and other perculiarities of a curve from its equation. -- Plane curve (Geom.) , a curve such that when a plane passes through three points of the curve, it passes through all the other points of the curve. Any other curve is called a curve of double curvature , or a twisted curve .

Curve <Xpage=358>

Curve , v. t. [ imp. & p.p. Curved (k?rvd) ; p. pr. & vb. n. Curving .] [L. curvare ., fr. curvus . See Curve , a. , Curb .] To bend; to crook; as, to curve a line; to curve a pipe ; to cause to swerve from a straight course; as, to curve a ball in pitching it .

Curve <Xpage=358>

Curve , v. i. To bend or turn gradually from a given direction; as, the road curves to the right .

Curvedness <Xpage=358>

Curv"ed*ness (-?d-n?s) , n. The state of being curved.

Curvet <Xpage=358>

Cur"vet (k?r"v?t &or; k?r-v?t"; 277) , n. [OE. corvet , It. corvetta : cf. F. courbette . See Curve , and cf. Corvetto .] 1. (Man.) A particular leap of a horse, when he raises both his fore legs at once, equally advanced, and, as his fore legs are falling, raises his hind legs, so that all his legs are in the air at once.

2. A prank; a frolic.

Curvet <Xpage=358>

Cur"vet , v. i. [ imp. & p.p. Curveted or -vetted ; p.pr. & vb. n. Curveting or -vetting .] [Cf. It. corvettare . See Curvet , n. ] 1. To make a curvet; to leap; to bound. 'Oft and high he did curvet ."

Drayton.

2. To leap and frisk; to frolic.

Shak.

Curvet <Xpage=358>

Cur"vet , v. t. To cause to curvet.

Landor.

Curvicaudate <Xpage=358>

Cur`vi*cau"date (k?r`v?-k?"d?t) , a. [L. curvus bent + E. caudate .] (Zo\'94l.) Having a curved or crooked tail.

Curvicostate <Xpage=358>

Cur`vi*cos"tate (k?r`v?-k?s"t?t) , a. [L. curvus + E. costate .] (Bot.) Having bent ribs.

Curvidentate <Xpage=358>

Cur`vi*den"tate (k?r`v?-d?n"t?t) , a. [L. curvus + E. dentate .] Having curved teeth.

Curviform <Xpage=358>

Cur"vi*form (k?r"v?-f?rm) , a. [L. curvus + -form .] Having a curved form.

Curvilinead <Xpage=358>

Cur`vi*lin"e*ad (k?r`v?-l?n"?-?d) , n. (Geom.) An instrument for drawing curved lines.

Curvilineal - a l, Curvilinear <Xpage=358>

Cur`vi*lin"e*al (- a l) , Cur`vi*lin"e*ar (-?r) , a. [L. curvus bent + E. lineal , linear .] Consisting of, or bounded by, curved lines; as, a curvilinear figure .

Curvilinearity <Xpage=358>

Cur`vi*lin`e*ar"i*ty (-?r"?-t?) , n. The state of being curvilinear or of being bounded by curved lines.

Curvilinearly <Xpage=358>

Cur`vi*lin"e*ar*ly (-?r-l?) , adv. In a curvilinear manner.

Curvinerved <Xpage=358>

Cur"vi*nerved` (-n?rvd`) , a. [L. curvus bent + E. nerve . ] (Bot.) Having the ribs or the veins of the leaves curved; -- called also curvinervate and curve-veined .

Curvirostral <Xpage=358>

Cur`vi*ros"tral (-r?s"tr a l) , a. [L. curvus + E. rostral .] (Zo\'94l.) Having a crooked beak, as the crossbill.

Curvirostres <Xpage=358>

Cur"vi*ros"tres (-r?s"tr?z) , n. pl. [NL., fr. L. curvus curved + rostrum beak, rostrum.] (Zo\'94l.) A group of passerine birds, including the creepers and nuthatches.

Curviserial <Xpage=358>

Cur`vi*se"ri*al (-s?"r?-al) , a. [L. curvus bent + E. serial .] (Bot.) Distributed in a curved line, as leaves along a stem.

Curvity <Xpage=358>

Cur"vi*ty (k?r"v?-y?) , n. [L. curvitas , from curvus bent: cf. F. curvit\'82 .] The state of being curved; a bending in a regular form; crookedness.

Holder.

Curvograph <Xpage=358>

Cur"vo*graph (k?r"v?-gr?f) , n. [L. curvus bent + -graph .] (Geom.) An arcograph.

Cushat <Xpage=358>

Cush"at (k??sh"?t) , n. [AS. cusceote .] (Zo\'94l.) The ringdove or wood pigeon.

Scarce with cushat's homely song can vie. Sir W. Scott.

Cushewbird <Xpage=358>

Cush"ew*bird (k?sh"?-b?rd`) , n. (Zo\'94l) The galeated curassow. See Curassow .

Cushion <Xpage=358>

Cush"ion (k??sh"?n) , n. [OE. cuischun , quisshen , OF. coissin , cuissin , F. coussin , fr. (assumed) LL. culcitinum , dim. of L. culcita cushion, mattress, pillow. See Quilt , and cf. Counterpoint a coverlet .] 1. A case or bag stuffed with some soft and elastic material, and used to sit or recline upon; a soft pillow or pad.

Two cushions stuffed with straw, the seat to raise. Dryden.

2. Anything resembling a cushion in properties or use ; as: (a) a pad on which gilders cut gold leaf ; (b) a mass of steam in the end of the cylinder of a steam engine to receive the impact of the piston ; (c) the elastic edge of a billiard table.

3. A riotous kind of dance, formerly common at weddings; -- called also cushion dance .

Halliwell.

Cushion capital . (Arch.) A capital so sculptured as to appear like a cushion pressed down by the weight of its entablature. (b) A name given to a form of capital, much used in the Romanesque style, modeled like a bowl, the upper part of which is cut away on four sides, leaving vertical faces. -- Cushion star (Zo\'94l.) a pentagonal starfish belonging to Goniaster , Astrogonium , and other allied genera; -- so called from its form.

Cushion <Xpage=358>

Cush"ion (k??sh"?n) , v. t. [ imp. & p.p. Cushioned (-?nd) ; p. pr. & vb. Cushioning .] 1. To seat or place on, or as on a cushion.

Many who are cushioned on thrones would have remained in obscurity. Bolingbroke.

2. To furnish with cushions; as, to cushion a chaise .

3. To conceal or cover up, as under a cushion.

Cushioned hammer , a dead-stroke hammer. See under Dead-stroke .

Cushionet <Xpage=358>

Cush"ion*et (k??sh"?n-?t) , n. [OF. coissinet , F. coussinet . See Cushion , and cf. Coussinet .] A little cushion.

Cushionless <Xpage=358>

Cush"ion*less , a. Hot furnished with a cushion.

Rows of long, cushionless benches, supplying the place of pews. Hawthorne.

Cushiony <Xpage=358>

Cush"ion*y (-?) , a. Like a cushion; soft; pliable.

A flat and cushiony noce. Dickens.

Cushite <Xpage=358>

Cush"ite (k?sh"?t) , n. A descendant of Cush, the son of Ham and grandson of Noah.

Cusk <Xpage=358>

Cusk (k?sk) , n. (Zo\'94l.) A large, edible, marine fish ( Brosmius brosme ), allied to the cod, common on the northern coasts of Europe and America; -- called also tusk and torsk .

Cuskin <Xpage=358>

Cus"kin (k?s"k?n) , n. A kind of drinking cup. [Obs.]

Cusp <Xpage=358>

Cusp (k?sp) , n. [L. cuspis , -idis , point, pointed end.]

1. (Arch.) A triangular protection from the intrados of an arch, or from an inner curve of tracery.

2. (Astrol.) The beginning or first entrance of any house in the calculations of nativities, etc.

3. (Astron) The point or horn of the crescent moon or other crescent-shaped luminary.

4. (Math.) A multiple point of a curve at which two or more branches of the curve have a common tangent.

5. (Anat.) A prominence or point, especially on the crown of a tooth.

6. (Bot.) A sharp and rigid point.

Cusp <Xpage=358>