cur‧few /ˈkɜːfjuː $ ˈkɜːr-/ noun [uncountable and countable]
[Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: covrefeu 'signal to put out fires, curfew', from covrir 'to cover' + feu 'fire']

1. a law that forces people to stay indoors after a particular time at night, or the time people must be indoors:
The government imposed a night-time curfew throughout the country.
The curfew was lifted (=ended) on May 6th.
The whole town was placed under curfew.
Anyone found in the streets after curfew was shot.

2. American English the time, decided by a parent, by which a child must be home or asleep in the evening

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

curfew
noun
ADJ. strict | dusk-to-dawn, night, night-time, 24-hour, 7 p.m., etc.
VERB + CURFEW declare, impose, order, place sth under A five-day curfew was declared by the government. The whole area has been placed under curfew.
lift The strict curfew has now been lifted.
break, defy Protesters defied the curfew and took to the streets.
CURFEW + VERB be in force A dusk-to-dawn curfew was in force.
PREP. under ~ The city is still under curfew.
~ on Many people are in favour of a curfew on young people.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲