curtail

CEFRB2

/kɜːˈteɪl/

verb · noun

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    verb

    To reduce or limit something.

  2. 02

    verb

    Extra detail

    To limit or restrict; to keep in check.

Examples

  • The aim is to curtail dependence on countries such as Taiwan for chips.

  • Their efforts to curtail spending didn't quite succeed.

At a glance

Sits at B2 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
2
Citations
3
Synonyms
5

Deep Dive

verb

Extra meanings
  1. To shorten or abridge the duration of; to bring an end to; to truncate.

  2. To cut short the tail of (an animal).

noun

Extra meaning
  1. A scroll termination, as of a step, etc.

More examples

In context
  • When the audience grew restless, the speaker curtailed her speech.

  • Curtailing horses procured long horse-hair.

  • This is the rump of the C.L.C. branch to Southport Lord Street, which lost its passenger services beyond Aintree from January 7, 1952, whereupon the timetable between Gateacre and Aintree was greatly curtailed.

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

The company had to blank its summer hours due to budget cuts.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

verb

Alteration of curtal, from Old French courtault (“which has been shortened”), itself from court (“short”) (from Latin curtus) + -ault