New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.
curtail — cur‧tail [kɜːˈteɪl ǁ kɜːr ] verb [transitive] to reduce or limit something: • The Federal Bank s critics in Congress are eager to curtail its power. • Investment plans may be curtailed by high interest rates. * * * curtail UK US /kɜːˈteɪl/ verb… … Financial and business terms
Curtail — Cur tail (k?r t?l), n. The scroll termination of any architectural member, as of a step, etc. [1913 Webster] … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
Curtail — Cur*tail (k[u^]r*t[=a]l ), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Curtailed} ( t[=a]ld ); p. pr. & vb. n. {Curtailing}.] [See {Curtal}.] To cut off the end or tail, or any part, of; to shorten; to abridge; to diminish; to reduce. [1913 Webster] I, that am… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
curtail — I verb abate, abbreviate, abridge, clip, coartare, cut, cut down, cut short, decrease, diminish, halt, lessen, lop, make smaller, minuere, pare, pare down, reduce, retrench, shorten, subtract, trim II index abate (lessen) … Law dictionary
curtail — late 15c., from M.Fr. courtault made short, from court short (O.Fr. cort, from L. curtus; see CURT (Cf. curt)) + ault pejorative suffix of Germanic origin. Originally curtal; used of horses with docked tails, which probably influenced the… … Etymology dictionary
curtail — *shorten, abbreviate, abridge, retrench Analogous words: reduce, *decrease, lessen: *cut, slash Antonyms: protract, prolong Contrasted words: *extend, lengthen, elongate … New Dictionary of Synonyms
curtail — [v] cut short; abridge abbreviate, boil down, chop, clip, contract, cramp, cut, cut back, decrease, diminish, dock, downsize, get to meat*, halt, lessen, lop, minify, pare down, put in nutshell*, reduce, retrench, roll back, shorten, slash, trim … New thesaurus
curtail — ► VERB ▪ reduce in extent or quantity. DERIVATIVES curtailment noun. ORIGIN from obsolete curtal «horse with a docked tail», from Latin curtus, influenced by TAIL(Cf. ↑tailless) … English terms dictionary
curtail — [kər tāl′] vt. [ME curtailen, altered (by assoc. with taillen < OFr taillier: see TAILOR) < OFr curtald, CURTAL] to cut short; reduce; abridge SYN. SHORTEN curtailment n … English World dictionary
curtail — [[t]kɜː(r)te͟ɪl[/t]] curtails, curtailing, curtailed VERB If you curtail something, you reduce or limit it. [FORMAL] [V n] NATO plans to curtail the number of troops being sent to the region... [V n] I told Louie that old age would curtail her… … English dictionary
curtail — UK [kɜː(r)ˈteɪl] / US [kɜrˈteɪl] verb [transitive] Word forms curtail : present tense I/you/we/they curtail he/she/it curtails present participle curtailing past tense curtailed past participle curtailed formal to reduce or limit something,… … English dictionary
