curlicue
/ˈkɜːlɪkjuː/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈkɜːrlɪkjuː/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈkər-lē-ˌkyü -li-/ (ame, mw)
curlicue — noun
1. a small fancy loop or twirl, drawn or shaped into something for decoration — lik
a small fancy loop or twirl, drawn or shaped into something for decoration — like the swirls at the end of a signature, or the curling lines on an old wrought-iron gate.
Alessia signed her name with a long curlicue under the last letter.
curlicue as part of handwriting decoration
The iron gate was covered in delicate curlicues painted dark green.
plural curlicues describing a decorative pattern
Tyler drew a small curlicue at the bottom of the birthday card.
Smoke rose from the chimney in slow curlicues against the winter sky.
The cake's icing had pink curlicues running along its top edge.
文法句型
a curlicue of [substance/material]
用法筆記
Most often used in the plural; describes the loop or twirl itself, not the act of making one. Subjects that take curlicues are usually written signatures, drawn designs, ironwork, icing, or rising smoke.
常見錯誤
curlicue — verb
- curlicuepresent simple I / you / we / they
- curlicues3rd person singular
- curlicuing-ing form
- curlicuedpast simple
1. (of smoke, vines, lines, or similar things) to move or grow in the shape of smal
(of smoke, vines, lines, or similar things) to move or grow in the shape of small curls and twirls.
Steam curlicued upward from the hot bowl of noodles on Jin's table.
subject is a moving substance (steam) shaping itself into curls
Thin vines curlicued around the wooden fence behind Maeve's garden shed.
subject is a plant growing in curled shapes
The artist let her brush curlicue freely across the bottom of the page.
Smoke from the small fire curlicued through the cold morning air.
文法句型
[substance/line] curlicues
用法筆記
Subject is typically something flexible or flowing — smoke, steam, vines, ribbons, or a moving line. Distinguish from sense 2: here nothing is being decorated; the thing itself simply moves or grows in a curl shape.
常見錯誤
2. to add small fancy loops or twirls to something as decoration — e.g. drawing flo
to add small fancy loops or twirls to something as decoration — e.g. drawing flourishes around the edge of a letter or piping swirls onto a cake.
Paloma carefully curlicued the borders of her thank-you card with gold ink.
transitive: curlicue + [object/surface]
The baker curlicued each pastry with thin lines of melted chocolate.
curlicue + [object] with [material]
Hassan curlicued his initials at the bottom of every drawing he finished.
Rania loved to curlicue the margins of her notebook during long meetings.
文法句型
curlicue + [object]
curlicue [object] with [material]
用法筆記
Always takes an object — the surface or item being decorated. Distinguish from sense 1: sense 1 has no object (the thing itself moves in curls); sense 2 takes an object (you apply curls to it).