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Definition of curl noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

curl

noun
 
/kɜːl/
 
/kɜːrl/
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  1. [countable] a small bunch of hair that forms a curved or round shape
    • Her hair was a mass of curls.
    • The baby had dark eyes and dark curls.
    Extra Examples
    • He carefully teased his curls into place.
    • Her auburn curls tumbled about her face.
    • His face was framed by a mop of black curls.
    • Her hair was styled into a cascade of spiral curls.
    • His hair spilled in curls over his forehead.
    • She has beautiful blonde curls.
    • He pushed a stray curl away from his eyes.
    • He raked a comb through his curls.
    • She shook her dark curls sadly.
    • She smoothed down her tangled curls.
    Topics Appearancec1
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • natural
    • loose
    • soft
    verb + curl
    • have
    • press back
    • push back
    curl + verb
    • fall
    • tumble
    • hang
    preposition
    • in curls
    • through the/​your curls
    phrases
    • a cascade of curls
    • a mass of curls
    • a mop of curls
    See full entry
  2. [countable, uncountable] the way that somebody's hair tends to form curved or round shapes
    • His hair had a natural curl.
    Extra Examples
    • His hair had a slight curl to it.
    • Her hair lost its curl as she got older.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • natural
    • loose
    • soft
    verb + curl
    • have
    • press back
    • push back
    curl + verb
    • fall
    • tumble
    • hang
    preposition
    • in curls
    • through the/​your curls
    phrases
    • a cascade of curls
    • a mass of curls
    • a mop of curls
    See full entry
  3. [countable] a thing that forms a curved or round shape
    • a curl of smoke
    • Decorate the cake with curls of chocolate.
    • a contemptuous curl of the lip (= an expression showing disapproval)
    Topics Colours and Shapesc1
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • faint
    preposition
    • curl of
    See full entry
  4. Word Originlate Middle English: from obsolete crulle ‘curly’, from Middle Dutch krul.
See curl in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary
previously
adverb
 
 
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