curb
Americannoun
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Also kerb a rim, especially of joined stones or concrete, along a street or roadway, forming an edge for a sidewalk.
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an enclosing framework or border.
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Also called curb bit. a bit used with a bridoon for control of a horse, to which a chain curb chain is hooked.
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British, kerb market. Also called kerbstone market. Also called curb market;. a market, originally on the sidewalk or street, for the sale of securities not listed on a stock exchange.
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the framework around the top of a well.
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the arris between an upper and a lower slope on a gambrel or mansard roof.
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a belt of metal, masonry, etc., for abutting a dome at its base.
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(in a windmill) the track on which the cap turns.
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Veterinary Pathology. a swelling on the lower part of the back of the hock of a horse, often causing lameness.
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Engineering. the cutting edge at the bottom of a caisson.
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Carpentry. purlin plate.
noun
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something that restrains or holds back
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any enclosing framework, such as a wall of stones around the top of a well
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Also called: curb bit. a horse's bit with an attached chain or strap, which checks the horse
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Also called: curb chain. the chain or strap itself
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a hard swelling on the hock of a horse
verb
noun
Related Words
See check 1.
Other Word Forms
- curbable adjective
- curbless adjective
- curblike adjective
- uncurb verb (used with object)
- uncurbable adjective
Etymology
Origin of curb
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English curb, courbe “curved piece of wood” (noun), “stooped, hunchbacked” (adjective), from Anglo-French curb, courb “curved, bowed,” Old French, from Latin curvus “crooked, bent, curved”; curve
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
On the one hand, California has hyperambitious goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in an effort to curb the worst effects of a changing climate.
From Los Angeles Times
Since the beginning of 2025, a small-but-growing number of states and cities have enacted laws aimed at curbing the use of surveillance technology such as license plate readers.
From Los Angeles Times
Treasuries will especially benefit if physical oil supply disruptions imply that a nonspeculative rise in prices will curb consumer demand.
From Barron's
No longer are the first impressions of a home seen at the curb — they are now viewed on a screen.
From MarketWatch
Supporters of the new law say clearer rules and limits on compensation will curb what they call an “industry of lawsuits,” encouraging more companies to start operations in the country.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
