- 1a line or surface that bends gradually; a smooth bend the delicate curve of her ear a pattern of straight lines and curves a curve in the road The driver lost control on a curve and the vehicle hit a tree. to plot a curve on a graph (technology) the unemployment-income curve (= a line on a graph showing the relationship between the number of unemployed people and national income) see learning curve
- 2(also curve ball) (in baseball) a ball that moves in a curve when it is thrown to the batter (figurative) One of the journalists threw the senator a curve (= surprised him by asking a difficult question). Idioms
in advance of or behind a particular trend Our expert advice will help you stay ahead of the curve. We've fallen behind the curve when it comes to developing new digital products.
Check pronunciation: curve