Dictionary

curdle en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /ˈkɝ.dəl/ (General-American)
• /ˈkɜː.dəl/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• (US) audio

Etymology

Metathesis of earlier dialectal cruddle, crudle, equivalent to curd + -le (frequentative suffix).

Meanings

1. (ambitransitive) To form curds so that it no longer flows smoothly; to cause to form such curds. (usually said of milk)
   • Too much lemon will curdle the milk in your tea.
2. (ambitransitive) To clot or coagulate; to cause to congeal, such as through cold. (metaphorically of blood)
   • "Vich Ian Vohr," it said, in a voice that made my very blood curdle, "beware of to-morrow!" 1814 July 7, [Walter Scott], Waverley; or, ’Tis Sixty Years Since. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), Edinburgh: […] James Ballantyne and Co. for Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, →OCLC:
   • Trust in the science did not curdle at the same instance as trust in the tech conglomerates, but they are not so dissimilar when weighed against the hype of progress. 2023 December 28, Ross Barkan, “The zeitgeist is changing. A strange, romantic backlash to the tech era looms”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:
3. (transitive) To cause a liquid to spoil and form clumps so that it no longer flows smoothly.
   • It is enough,' said the agitated Mr. Slurk, pacing to and fro, 'to curdle the ink in one's pen, and induce one to abandon their cause for ever.' 1836 March – 1837 October, Charles Dickens, “(please specify the chapter name)”, in The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club, London: Chapman and Hall, […], published 1837, →OCLC:

Forms

Deriveds

uncurdle · curdled · decurdling · blood-curdling · curdler

Synonyms

curd

Translations (109)

rup ncljeg (to form or cause to form curds) · sh згруша́вати (to coagulate) · ru сгусти́ться (to coagulate) · ru свёртывать (to cause to form clumps) · cs srážet (to form or cause to form curds) · sh згруша́вати (to cause to form clumps) · scn quagghiari (to form or cause to form curds) · fr coaguler (to coagulate) · ro închega (to coagulate) · cu осꙑрѣти (to form or cause to form curds) · vec cagiar (to form or cause to form curds) · ru створо́жить (to form or cause to form curds) · sh zgrušávati (to cause to form clumps) · ta பிரைக்கு வை (to form or cause to form curds) · fi juoksettaa (to form or cause to form curds) · ru сгусти́ть (to cause to form clumps) · uk зґля́ґатися (to form or cause to form curds) · fi hyydyttää (to coagulate) · mi tetepe (to form or cause to form curds) · fa کلچانیدن (to form or cause to form curds) · sh zgrušávati (to form or cause to form curds) · cs srazit se (to form or cause to form curds) · mk засирува (to coagulate) · bg коагулирам (to coagulate) · uk зґляґа́тися (to form or cause to form curds) · it cagliare (to form or cause to form curds) · sc callai (to form or cause to form curds) · scn cagghiari (to form or cause to form curds) · ru свёртываться (to coagulate) · gv groo (to form or cause to form curds) · ta தோய் (to coagulate) · ta கட்டு (to coagulate) · gl callar (to form or cause to form curds) · te విరుగు (to form or cause to form curds) · fi saostaa (to cause to form clumps) · pl ścinać się (to form or cause to form curds) · pt coalhar (to form or cause to form curds) · mk згрутчува (to cause to form clumps) · ru створа́живать (to form or cause to form curds) · mk засирува (to form or cause to form curds) · ru сгуща́ть (to cause to form clumps) · sv stelna (to coagulate) · fi juoksettua (to form or cause to form curds) · nl stremmen (to form or cause to form curds) · fur caglâ (to form or cause to form curds) · cs srazit (to form or cause to form curds) · ru сверну́ть (to cause to form clumps) · sh згу̏снути (to coagulate) · mk згрутчува (to coagulate) · sco yirn (to form or cause to form curds) · ru коагули́ровать (to coagulate) · ro închega (to form or cause to form curds) · mk згрутчува (to form or cause to form curds) · sv skära (to form or cause to form curds) · sh zasiriti (to form or cause to form curds) · te తోడుకొను (to form or cause to form curds) · ar تَخَثَّرَ (to form or cause to form curds) · fa دلمه شدن (to form or cause to form curds) · rup ncljeg (to coagulate) · uk зву́рджувати (to form or cause to form curds) · gv binjee (to form or cause to form curds) · ta துவை (to form or cause to form curds) · nrf cailli (to form or cause to form curds) · gl trallar (to coagulate) · bg пресичам се (to form or cause to form curds) · sh згруша́вати (to form or cause to form curds) · gv binjeanee (to form or cause to form curds) · es cuajar (to form or cause to form curds) · fi hyytyä (to coagulate) · vec inconajar (to form or cause to form curds) · de gerinnen (to coagulate) · sh zgȕsnuti (to coagulate) · sh zgrušávati (to coagulate) · ta தோய் (to form or cause to form curds) · fa کلچیدن (to form or cause to form curds) · ru свора́чиваться (to coagulate) · ta பிரைகுத்து (to form or cause to form curds) · mi kurukuruwhatu (to form or cause to form curds) · es coagular (to coagulate) · cs srážet se (to form or cause to form curds) · fa دلمه کردن (to form or cause to form curds) · mi pupuru (to form or cause to form curds) · ru сверну́ться (to coagulate) · uk зву́рджуватися (to form or cause to form curds) · uk ву́рдити (to form or cause to form curds) · uk зву́рдитися (to form or cause to form curds) · mi tepe (to form or cause to form curds) · sq mpiks (to form or cause to form curds) · sc cragare (to form or cause to form curds) · ca quallar (to form or cause to form curds) · pt coagular (to coagulate) · ru свора́чивать (to cause to form clumps) · ru створа́живаться (to form or cause to form curds) · fr cailler (to form or cause to form curds) · la concrescō (to coagulate) · sq mpiksem (to form or cause to form curds) · ru коагули́роваться (to coagulate) · nl klonteren (to coagulate) · pl zsiadać się (to form or cause to form curds) · uk зву́рдити (to form or cause to form curds) · cy ceulo (to form or cause to form curds) · ru сгуща́ться (to coagulate) · bg съсирвам се (to form or cause to form curds) · uk ґляґа́ти (to form or cause to form curds) · gl callar (to coagulate) · sh засирити (to form or cause to form curds) · nl klonteren (to cause to form clumps) · fi saostua (to cause to form clumps) · ru створо́житься (to form or cause to form curds)