Curve

Pronunciation

• RP IPA: /kɜːv/
• GenAM IPA: /kɝv/
• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)v

Origin

From Latin curvus ("bent, curved")

Full definition of curve

Adjective

1. (obsolete) Bent without angles; crooked; curved.a curve linea curve surface

Noun

1. A gentle bend, such as in a road.You should slow down when approaching a curve.
2. A simple figure containing no straight portions and no angles; a curved line.She scribbled a curve on the paper.
3. A grading system based on the scale of performance of a group used to normalize a right-skewed grade distribution (with more lower scores) into a bell curve, so that more can receive higher grades, regardless of their actual knowledge of the subject.The teacher was nice and graded the test on a curve
4. (analytic geometry) A continuous map from a one-dimensional space to a multidimensional space.
5. (geometry) A one-dimensional figure of non-zero length; the graph of a continuous map from a one-dimensional space.
6. (algebraic geometry) An algebraic curve; a polynomial relation of the planar coordinates.
7. (topology) A one-dimensional continuum.
8. (informal, usually in plural) The attractive shape of a woman's body.

Derived terms

Verb

1. (transitive) To bend; to crook.to curve a lineto curve a pipe
2. (transitive) To cause to swerve from a straight course.to curve a ball in pitching it
3. (intransitive) To bend or turn gradually from a given direction.the road curves to the right
4. To grade on a curve (bell curve of a normal distribution).The teacher will curve the test.