cur|few

cur|few
cur|few «KUR fyoo», noun.
1. a) a period of time, usually starting in the evening, during which the inhabitants of a city or other area are restricted to their homes or not permitted to appear in certain public places, especially in wartime: »

Using a Jordanian law, a 21-hour curfew has been imposed in all the towns (London Times).

 b) a rule requiring certain persons to be off the streets or at home before a fixed time: »

The mayor has established a 10 P.M. curfew for children in our city.

2. a) the ringing of a bell at a fixed time in the evening as a signal. In the Middle Ages, it was a signal to put out lights and cover fires in the camp or in the town. b) a bell ringing such a signal: »

Every night at nine the curfew rang. The curfew tolls the knell of parting day (Thomas Gray).

 c) the time when a curfew begins or is rung: »

Everyone has to be in by curfew.

╂[< Anglo-French coeverfu, Old French covrefeu < couvrir cover (< Latin cooperīre) + feu fire < Latin focus hearth]

Useful english dictionary. 2012.

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  • cur·few — /ˈkɚfju/ noun, pl fews 1 a : an order or law that requires people to be indoors after a certain time at night [count] The teens were stopped by police for violating the curfew. The city ordered/imposed a curfew soon after the rioting started.… …   Useful english dictionary

  • cur — bi·cur·sal; con·cur; con·cur·rence; con·cur·rent·ly; con·cur·ring·ly; con·cur·sion; con·cur·so; con·cur·sus; cu·cur·bit; cu·cur·bi·ta; cu·cur·bi·ta·ce·ae; cu·cur·bi·tar·i·a·ce·ae; cur·abil·i·ty; cur·able; cur·agh; cur·cas; cur·chie; cur·cu·lio;… …   English syllables

  • few — feath·er·few; fe·ver·few; few·ness; few·trils; cur·few; few; …   English syllables

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  • re|cur — «rih KUR», intransitive verb, curred, cur|ring. 1. to come up again; occur again; be repeated: » Leap year recurs every four years. My holiday visits…seemed to them to recur too often, though I found them few enough (Charles Lamb). 2. to return… …   Useful english dictionary

  • up|cur|rent — «UHP KUR uhnt», noun. a rising current of air; updraft: »The wind was producing a strong upcurrent as it hit this slope, and a few of the larger birds were taking advantage of it to do some soaring (Manchester Guardian) …   Useful english dictionary

  • curfew — cur·few …   English syllables

  • curfew — cur|few [ˈkə:fju: US ˈkə:r ] n [U and C] [Date: 1200 1300; : Old French; Origin: covrefeu signal to put out fires, curfew , from covrir to cover + feu fire ] 1.) a law that forces people to stay indoors after a particular time at night, or the… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

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