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curve

n. countable
B2 Upper Intermediate Oxford US //ˈkɝv// UK //kˈɜːv// curve Archaic Dialect General-service Informal Slang

n. a line that bends smoothly and does not have any straight parts. You also use this word to describe a situation where someone rejects your romantic interest.

n. a line or surface that deviates from straightness in a continuous fashion. In modern informal register, it refers to the act of rejecting a romantic or social advance, often by ignoring the person.


SIMPLE

The road has a sharp curve ahead.

CONTEXTUAL

She tried to ask him out on a date, but he gave her the curve by not replying to her messages.

COMPLEX

The architect designed the building with a sweeping glass curve that reflects the surrounding landscape, creating a seamless visual transition between the structure and the park.

Synonyms
Origin

Attested since the 1690s, from Latin curvus (“bent, curved”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European (s)ker- (“to bend, curve, turn”) + -wós. Doublet of curb, shrink, carcer, and cancer.

Usage

In its informal sense, it is often used in the phrase 'to throw someone a curve' or 'to give someone the curve'.

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