From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishcurlcurl1 /kɜːl $ kɜːrl/ ●●○ verb [intransitive, transitive] 1 CFto form a twisted or curved shape, or to make something do this Mary was busy curling her hair.curl around/round Ivy curled round the tree.2 [always + adverb/preposition]BEND to move, forming a twisted or curved shape, or to make something do thiscurl across/along etc Morning mists curled across the river.curl something around/round/over etc something He curled his arm around Claudia’s waist.3 DISAPPROVEif you curl your lip, or if your lip curls, you move it upwards and sideways, to show that you disapprove of someone or something Her lip curled in contempt. → make somebody’s toes curl at toe1(5), → make your hair curl at hair(9) → curl up→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
curl• Penelope's fingers curled and uncurled nervously in her lap.• Thick, dark hair curled around his face and his rolled-up sleeves revealed strong, well-muscled arms.• I threw the letter into the fire. It curled, darkened, and then burst into flames.• The document was yellow and its edges had curled inward.• I didn't have a chance to curl my hair this morning.• One of her feet curled over the top of the other one, and rubbed it affectionately.• Touch it again, and it will curl up again, and then stretch out once more.• Booze was soporific, the brain was programmed to zero, it curled up and slept.• I curled up in a fetal position after the Elimination Ritual and waited for sleep to come.• She curled up in a tight ball as though to stop herself from breaking apart.curl around/round• A narrow stairway of stone curled around a pillar near the door and disappeared through the beams of the roof.• Still further off the bay curls round and vanishes in mist.• She thought Robin must sleep in this bed with Penny, curled around her protectively as you would sleep with a kitten.• A musk smell lingered on Groves' sleeve, from where the female snake had curled around his arm.• Thick, dark hair curled around his face and his rolled-up sleeves revealed strong, well-muscled arms.• He studies the little dark face and massages a limp hand until the fingers curl around his own.• These leaves, too, were curled around the edges, and their undersides were covered with a downy tan fuzz.• Sure enough, when they went out to the yard, the same snake was curled around the same plant.curl across/along etc• Beyond it flowed the heavy mainstream, with small eddies curling along and through the wire on the surface.• The storm curled along the coast like a question mark; all over the city people braced themselves.curlcurl2 ●●○ noun 1 [countable]DC a piece of hair that hangs in a curved shape a little boy with beautiful blonde curls2 [singular, uncountable] the ability of your hair to form curls Use a diffuser to maximise the volume and curl of your hair. hair that has a natural curl3 [countable]CF something in the shape of a curve Decorate the cake with chocolate curls.curl of A curl of smoke rose from her cigarette.4 [countable] an exercise in which you repeatedly bend your arms, legs, or stomach in order to make your muscles strong5 → curl of somebody’s lip/mouthCOLLOCATIONSadjectivessoft/loose curls (=gentle curves)long brown hair in soft curlstight curls (=curves that are very close together)Her dark hair was arranged in tight curls.natural curlsYou're lucky if you have natural curls.a stray/wayward curl (=hanging in an untidy way)Emily pushed back a stray curl.golden/dark/black etc curlsa little boy with a tangle of blond curlsverbscurls fall/tumble (=hang down)The child's golden curls fell around her shoulders.phrasesa mass/mop of curls (=a lot of curls)a gorgeous Italian man with a mass of dark curlsa tangle of curls (=curls that are not neatly combed)a boy with a tangle of brown curlsExamples from the Corpus
curl• Sleep had flattened one side of her Afro and a curl had broken free above her forehead.• A curl of smoke rose from her cigarette.• Chocolate curls make an elegant decoration for cakes and desserts.• Afterwards she combed out long gray curls which turned into ringlets in the sun.• My hair is flat, it has lost its curl.• Apply Sorbie Curl Forme on to hair to revitalise curls and add body and shine.• These keep the curls tight and the cuticle sealed.• Do two sets each of bicep and tricep curls.• He had startlingly blue eyes and dark tumbling curls over his forehead; a narrow face; a skinny body.Origin curl1 (1300-1400) crul “curly” ((1300-1400)), probably from Middle Dutch 