curtain

CEFRA2

/ˈkɜːtn̩/

noun · verb

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    noun

    A piece of cloth used to cover a window or stage.

  2. 02

    verb

    To close or hide with a curtain.

Examples

  • I waited for the curtain to rise with my heart beating in excitement.

  • I'll open the curtain for you to look out.

At a glance

Sits at A2 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
2
Citations
5
Synonyms
1

Also pronounced

  • [ˈkʰɜɹʔn̩]
  • /ˈkɜɹt(ə)n/

Deep Dive

noun

Extra meanings

  1. A similar piece of cloth that separates the audience and the stage in a theater.

  2. The beginning of a show; the moment the curtain rises.

  3. A piece of cloth covering a window, bed, etc. to offer privacy and keep out light.

More examples

In context

  • The curtain rose to reveal an empty stage.

  • He drew the curtains at 11:00pm before falling asleep.

  • He took so long to shave his head that we arrived 45 minutes after curtain and were denied late entry.

Synonyms

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

She pulled the heavy blank aside to let in the morning sun.

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

Nearby

Origin

noun

Inherited from Middle English curtine, from Old French cortine, from Late Latin cōrtīna (“curtain”), a calque from Ancient Greek.