curl
/kɜːl/ (bre, ipa) · [kˈɚl] /kɝːl/ (ame, ipa) · [kˈɚl] /ˈkər(-ə)l/ (ame, mw) · [kˈɚl] /kɜːrl/ (ame, ipa)
curl — noun
- curlsingular
- curlsplural
1. a part of your hair that naturally grows in a rounded, twisting form, or any obj
a part of your hair that naturally grows in a rounded, twisting form, or any object or mark that has a similar curved shape
Sana ran her fingers through the natural curls of her hair after the shower.
natural curls — collocation for describing hair shape
A curl of gray smoke rose from the chimney into the cold morning air.
curl of [substance] — describes smoke, steam, or ribbon
Élise used a hot iron to create loose curls for the party tonight.
Noor tied a bright blue curl of ribbon onto the handle of the gift basket.
The baby was born with a single dark curl resting on her forehead.
- ringlet
specifically a small, tight curl of hair; more poetic and less common in everyday speech
- spiral
describes a shape that winds outward or inward like a spring; broader than curl and not used for hair
- coil
a series of circles wound around each other; suggests a tighter, more even pattern than a curl
文法句型
curl + of + substance
adjective + curls (tight/loose/natural)
用法筆記
Countable noun. Most often describes hair, but also works for smoke, ribbon, paper edges, and decorative marks. Not used for abstract mathematical curves, such as the shape of a graph.
常見錯誤
2. the curved path a ball follows when it is struck or thrown with a spinning motio
the curved path a ball follows when it is struck or thrown with a spinning motion, especially in football, tennis, or basketball
The footballer practiced the curl of the ball around the defensive wall every afternoon.
the curl of the ball — ball's curved flight path
Caio watched the curl on the tennis ball as it spun past his racket.
A perfect curl took the football past the defender and into the striker's path.
Jude threw a pass with such a sharp curl that the defender could not reach it.
文法句型
the curl + of + the ball
adjective + curl (wicked/perfect/tight)
用法筆記
Common in sports commentary, especially for football (soccer), tennis, cricket, and bowling. The definite article 'the' is typically used: 'the curl on the ball.'
3. a strength-training movement in which you bend only one joint — usually the elbo
a strength-training movement in which you bend only one joint — usually the elbow or knee — to lift a weight
Ari added three sets of bicep curls to his upper-body workout routine.
bicep curls — most common curl exercise
The trainer showed Noa how to perform a hamstring curl on the machine.
Niran completed twenty barbell curls at the gym and could barely lift his water bottle afterward.
Charlotte dropped the dumbbells onto the mat after finishing her last set of curls.
文法句型
[body part] + curl
do + number + curls
用法筆記
Almost always used in compound form with the body part named first: 'bicep curl,' 'leg curl,' 'wrist curl.' Rarely appears alone without specifying the joint. The plural 'curls' is very common when referring to a set of repetitions.
常見錯誤
curl — verb
- curlpresent simple I / you / we / they
- curlshe / she / it
- curledpast simple
- curling-ing form
1. to bend or twist something into a rounded or spiral shape, or to take on such a
to bend or twist something into a rounded or spiral shape, or to take on such a shape naturally — for example, curling a strand of hair around your finger, or watching a dried leaf curl at the edges
Yumi curled a strand of her long hair around her finger while she was thinking.
curl + around — shows gentle wrapping motion
The autumn leaves began to curl at the edges as they dried on the ground.
curl at the edges — describes material curling naturally
Meera curled up on the sofa with a book and a cup of tea.
Christopher curled the ribbon tightly around the gift box before tying a bow.
The old cat curled its tail around its paws and fell asleep in the sun.
- straighten
to make something flat or straight, the opposite of curling
文法句型
curl + object
curl + around/into/toward + object
curl up + adverb
用法筆記
Can be transitive (you curl something) or intransitive (something curls). The phrasal verb curl up is very common for describing a person, animal, or leaf settling into a rounded shape. Also used for hair that naturally grows in waves: 'Her hair curls easily in humid weather.'
常見錯誤
2. to strike or throw a ball so that it follows a bending path due to spin, or for
to strike or throw a ball so that it follows a bending path due to spin, or for a ball to travel in such a curved way
The midfielder curled the ball over the goalkeeper and into the top corner of the net.
curl [ball] over/into — trajectory pattern before complement
Tariro curled a forehand shot across the court, and the ball landed just inside the line.
curl + forehand shot — tennis-specific use of the verb
Gabriela curled a free kick over the wall, but the goalkeeper caught it before the line.
Anong curled a cross from the right wing toward the head of the tall striker.
文法句型
curl + the ball + preposition
ball + curls + adverb
用法筆記
Transitive when a player deliberately spins the ball; intransitive when describing the ball's natural movement. Most common in British football commentary and less frequent in American English contexts.
3. to signal scorn or a sense of superiority by lifting a corner of your lips in a
to signal scorn or a sense of superiority by lifting a corner of your lips in a twisted expression
When the politician made his promise, Adina curled her lip in disbelief.
curl one's lip — facial expression for contempt or doubt
Soraya's lip curled as she read the rude comment on the review page.
The restaurant manager curled his lip at the customer's complaint and walked away.
Noa could not hide her feelings; her lip curled every time her brother retold the embarrassing restaurant story.
- smile
raises the corners of the mouth but signals warmth or pleasure, not contempt
文法句型
curl + one's + lip
lip + curl + adverb
用法筆記
Almost always used with 'lip' as either the object ('curl your lip') or the subject ('her lip curled'). Rarely used with any other body part. The expression is informal and conveys a sense of superiority or scorn.
常見錯誤
4. to take part in the winter sport of curling, where players slide heavy granite s
to take part in the winter sport of curling, where players slide heavy granite stones across ice toward a circular scoring area
Every winter, Élise and her teammates curl at the local ice rink every Saturday morning.
curl at [location] — intransitive verb for playing the sport
Christopher learned to curl during a trip to Scotland, where the sport first began.
The community centre offers beginner classes for anyone who wants to learn how to curl.
Ari's grandfather used to curl for a local team in the mountains of Switzerland.
文法句型
curl + at [location]
curl + for [team]
用法筆記
Intransitive only. The noun 'curling' (the name of the sport) is far more common than the verb form. When used as a verb, it typically appears in contexts where the sport has already been introduced.