curl
verb/kɜːl/
/kɜːrl/
Verb Forms
Idioms Phrasal Verbs| present simple I / you / we / they curl | /kɜːl/ /kɜːrl/ |
| he / she / it curls | /kɜːlz/ /kɜːrlz/ |
| past simple curled | /kɜːld/ /kɜːrld/ |
| past participle curled | /kɜːld/ /kɜːrld/ |
| -ing form curling | /ˈkɜːlɪŋ/ /ˈkɜːrlɪŋ/ |
- [intransitive, transitive] curl (something) to form or make something form into a curl or curls
- His hair curls naturally.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- tightly
- slightly
- back
- …
- around
- round
- from
- …
- curled up
- curl (up) at the edges
- [intransitive, transitive] to form or make something form into a curved shape
- (+ adv./prep.) The cat curled into a ball and went to sleep.
- curl something (+ adv./prep.) She curled her legs up under her.
Extra ExamplesTopics Colours and Shapesc1- The photograph was brown and curling at the edges.
- His fingers curled tightly around the steering wheel.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- tightly
- slightly
- back
- …
- around
- round
- from
- …
- curled up
- curl (up) at the edges
- [intransitive, transitive] to move while forming into a twisted or curved shape; to make something do this
- (+ adv./prep.) The smoke curled steadily upwards.
- The honeysuckle curled around the trunk of the apple tree.
- Smoke was curling up from the chimney.
- curl something (+ adv./prep.) He turned and curled the ball around the goalkeeper.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- tightly
- slightly
- back
- …
- around
- round
- from
- …
- curled up
- curl (up) at the edges
- [transitive, intransitive] curl (something) if you curl your lip or your lip curls, you move your lip upwards and to the side to show that you think somebody/something is stupid or that you are better than they are
Word Originlate Middle English: from obsolete crulle ‘curly’, from Middle Dutch krul.
Idioms
See curl in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionarymake somebody’s toes curl
- to make somebody feel embarrassed or uncomfortable
- The man's broad smile made her toes curl.
Check pronunciation:
curl