curl
[verb]
Synonyms:
- twirl, bend, coil, curve, loop, spiral, turn, twist, wind
[noun]
Synonyms:
- twist, coil, kink, ringlet, spiral, whorl

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Antonyms: uncurl
Contrasted words: straighten, unkink, unwind
Related Words: crook, roll, ringlet, kink

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

I. curl¹ /kɜːl $ kɜːrl/ verb [intransitive and transitive]
[Date: 1300-1400; Origin: crul 'curly' (1300-1400), probably from Middle Dutch]

1. to form a twisted or curved shape, or to make something do this:
Mary was busy curling her hair.
curl around/round
Ivy curled round the tree.

2. [always + adverb/preposition] to move, forming a twisted or curved shape, or to make something do this
curl across/along etc
Morning mists curled across the river.
curl something around/round/over etc something
He curled his arm around Claudia’s waist.

3. if you curl your lip, or if your lip curls, you move it upwards and sideways, to show that you disapprove of someone or something:
Her lip curled in contempt.
⇒ make sb’s toes curl at toe¹(5), ⇒ make your hair curl at hair(9)
curl up phrasal verb

1. to move so that you are lying or sitting with your arms and legs bent close to your body:
I just wanted to curl up and go to sleep.
Sarah was curled up on the sofa.

2. if something flat curls up, its edges start to become curved and point upwards:
The letter was now yellow and beginning to curl up.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. curl² noun

1. [countable] a piece of hair that hangs in a curved shape:
a little boy with beautiful blonde curls

2. [singular, uncountable] the ability of your hair to form curls:
Use a diffuser to maximise the volume and curl of your hair.
hair that has a natural curl

3. [countable] something in the shape of a curve:
Decorate the cake with chocolate curls.
curl of
A curl of smoke rose from her cigarette.

4. [countable] an exercise in which you repeatedly bend your arms, legs, or stomach in order to make your muscles strong

5. curl of sb’s lip/mouth a sideways and upwards movement of your lip or mouth, showing that you disapprove of someone or something

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

curl
noun
I. piece of hair
ADJ. natural | soft | tight | corkscrew, spiral | auburn, blonde, dark, etc. | natural | stray She pushed a stray curl away from her eyes.
tangled, tumbling, unruly, untamed, wayward She smoothed down her tangled curls.
damp
VERB + CURL press/push/stroke back, smooth back/down | ruffle, run your fingers through | tease He carefully teased his curls into place.
shake She shook her dark curls sadly.
CURL + VERB fall, tumble Her auburn curls tumbled about her face.
bounce | frame sth Her face was framed by a mop of black curls.
PREP. in ~s His hair spilled in curls over his forehead.
through the/your ~s She raked a comb through her wayward curls.
PHRASES a cascade/mass/mop of curls Her hair was styled into a cascade of spiral curls.
lose its curl Her hair lost its curl as she got older.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

curl
II. sth with a curved round shape
ADJ. faint, little, slight He acknowledged her remark with a faint curl of his lips.
PREP. ~ of a curl of smoke

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

curl
verb
ADV. tightly | slightly | up She curled her legs up under her.
PREP. around/round His fingers curled tightly round the steering wheel.
from Smoke was curling up from the chimney.
into The cat curled into a ball and fell asleep.
PHRASES be/lie/sit curled up She was lying curled up on her bed.
curl (up) at the edges The photograph was brown and curling at the edges.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

curl

soft/loose curls (=gentle curves)
long brown hair in soft curls
tight curls (=curves that are very close together)
Her dark hair was arranged in tight curls.
natural curls
You're lucky if you have natural curls.
a stray/wayward curl (=hanging in an untidy way)
Emily pushed back a stray curl.
golden/dark/black etc curls
a little boy with a tangle of blond curls
curls fall/tumble (=hang down)
The child's golden curls fell around her shoulders.
a mass/mop of curls (=a lot of curls)
a gorgeous Italian man with a mass of dark curls
a tangle of curls (=curls that are not neatly combed)
a boy with a tangle of brown curls

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

curl
kə:l
See: pin curl

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲