Dictionary

curfew en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈkɜː.fjuː/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˈkɝ.fju/ (General-American)
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

From Middle English curfu, from Old French cuevre-fu (French couvre-feu), from the imperative of covrir (“to cover”) + fu (“fire”). Compare kerchief.

Meanings

1. Any regulation requiring people to be off the streets and in their homes by a certain time.
   • Curfews have been curbing / The end of liberty 1981, “This Is Radio Clash”, performed by The Clash:
   • Localities across New Jersey imposed curfews to prevent looting. In Monmouth, Ocean and other counties, people waited for hours for gasoline at the few stations that had electricity. Supermarket shelves were stripped bare. 2012 October 31, David M. Halbfinger, “Hurricane Sandy”, in New York Times, retrieved 31 Oct 2012:
   • The city has been reported calm after a curfew was imposed.
2. A regulation requiring loud or disruptive activities such as concerts and sporting events to end by a certain time.
   • The curfew was introduced in 2009, when the All England Club installed a retractable roof on Centre Court. That meant that play could go on later at a tournament that previously ran to the sun’s clock, but local residents — and their council — did not want fans streaming past their houses in the early hours. 2025 July 7, Charlie Eccleshare, “Wimbledon’s curfew rule explained: The tennis Grand Slam with an early bedtime”, in The Athletic:
3. The time when such restriction begins.
4. A signal indicating this time.
5. A fireplace accessory designed to bank a fire by completely covering the embers.
6. (historical) A regulation in feudal Europe by which fires had to be covered up or put out at a certain fixed time in the evening, marked by the ringing of an evening bell.
7. The evening bell, which continued to be rung in many towns after the regulation itself became obsolete.
   • I have my lodging neere unto a tower, where both evening and morning a very great bell doth chime Ave marie and Cover-few, which jangling doth even make the tower to shake […]. , Folio Society, 2006, vol.1, p.95

Forms

Deriveds

curfewed · curfew pass · curfewless · precurfew · noncurfew · postcurfew · anticurfew

Relateds

stay-at-home order · state of siege · martial law · state of emergency · lights-out · lockdown

Translations (116)

ko 통행금지령 (regulation requiring people to be off the streets and in their homes by a certain time) · cmn 宵禁 (regulation requiring people to be off the streets and in their homes by a certain time) · de Ausgangssperre (regulation requiring people to be off the streets and in their homes by a certain time) · ja 夜間外出禁止令 (regulation requiring people to be off the streets and in their homes by a certain time) · be каменда́нцкая гадзі́на (regulation requiring people to be off the streets and in their homes by a certain time) · kk коменданттық сағат (regulation requiring people to be off the streets and in their homes by a certain time) · sh полицијски сат (regulation requiring people to be off the streets and in their homes by a certain time) · fi ulkonaliikkumiskiellon alkamisaika (time when such restriction begins) · de Sperrstunde (time when such restriction begins) · ro semnal de stingere (signal indicating this time) · rsk полицийна годзина (regulation requiring people to be off the streets and in their homes by a certain time) · de Abendläuten (evening bell) · tr sokağa çıkma yasağı (regulation requiring people to be off the streets and in their homes by a certain time) · it coprifuoco (signal indicating this time) · cs zákaz vycházení (regulation requiring people to be off the streets and in their homes by a certain time) · ka კომენდანტის საათი (regulation requiring people to be off the streets and in their homes by a certain time) · de Ausgehverbot (regulation requiring people to be off the streets and in their homes by a certain time) · sv aftonringning (evening bell) · es toque de queda (regulation requiring people to be off the streets and in their homes by a certain time) · fr couvre-feu (regulation requiring people to be off the streets and in their homes by a certain time) · nl spertijd (time when such restriction begins) · pap toke de keda (regulation requiring people to be off the streets and in their homes by a certain time) · lv policijas stunda (regulation requiring people to be off the streets and in their homes by a certain time) · ar مَنْعُ التَّجَوُّل (regulation requiring people to be off the streets and in their homes by a certain time) · ro stare de asediu (historical regulation requiring fire to be covered/extinguished) · es cubrefuego (regulation requiring people to be off the streets and in their homes by a certain time) · fi iltasoitto (evening bell) · lv komandantstunda (time when such restriction begins) · bg вече́рен час (regulation requiring people to be off the streets and in their homes by a certain time) · nl avondklok (time when such restriction begins) · mi rāhui haere (regulation requiring people to be off the streets and in their homes by a certain time) · vi lúc giới nghiêm (time when such restriction begins) · ar مَوْعِد الحَظْر (time when such restriction begins) · ja 外出禁止令 (regulation requiring people to be off the streets and in their homes by a certain time) · ja 戒厳令 (regulation requiring people to be off the streets and in their homes by a certain time) · ro clopot de alarmă (evening bell) · nl avondklok (evening bell) · uz komendant soati (regulation requiring people to be off the streets and in their homes by a certain time) · is útgöngubann (regulation requiring people to be off the streets and in their homes by a certain time) · nn portforbod (regulation requiring people to be off the streets and in their homes by a certain time) · es toque de queda (signal indicating this time) · gl toque de queda (regulation requiring people to be off the streets and in their homes by a certain time) · sh policijski sat (regulation requiring people to be off the streets and in their homes by a certain time) · hu kijárási tilalom (regulation requiring people to be off the streets and in their homes by a certain time) · ar حَظْرُ التَّجَوُّل (regulation requiring people to be off the streets and in their homes by a certain time) · lv komandanta stunda (regulation requiring people to be off the streets and in their homes by a certain time) · af aandklok (regulation requiring people to be off the streets and in their homes by a certain time) · mi rāhui haerepō (regulation requiring people to be off the streets and in their homes by a certain time) · nb portforbud (regulation requiring people to be off the streets and in their homes by a certain time) · eo elirmalpermeso (regulation requiring people to be off the streets and in their homes by a certain time) · sl policijska ura (regulation requiring people to be off the streets and in their homes by a certain time) · hy պարետային ժամ (time when such restriction begins) · de Zapfenstreich (signal indicating this time) · enm curfu (historical regulation requiring fire to be covered/extinguished) · ca toc de queda (regulation requiring people to be off the streets and in their homes by a certain time) · fr couvre-feu (historical regulation requiring fire to be covered/extinguished) · ko 외출금지령 (regulation requiring people to be off the streets and in their homes by a certain time) · da spærretid (time when such restriction begins) · fo útfaringarbann (regulation requiring people to be off the streets and in their homes by a certain time) · hi करफ़्यू (signal indicating this time) · sk zákaz vychádzania (regulation requiring people to be off the streets and in their homes by a certain time) · lv komandanta stunda (time when such restriction begins) · fi tulen peittävä suojus (fire accessory) · lv policijas stunda (time when such restriction begins) · fr couvre-feu (evening bell) · it coprifuoco (time when such restriction begins) · uk коменда́нтська годи́на (regulation requiring people to be off the streets and in their homes by a certain time) · id jam malam (regulation requiring people to be off the streets and in their homes by a certain time) · et liikumiskeeld (regulation requiring people to be off the streets and in their homes by a certain time) · fi ulkonaliikkumiskiellon merkki (signal indicating this time) · ko 통금 (regulation requiring people to be off the streets and in their homes by a certain time) · ko 문한 (time when such restriction begins) · la ignitegium (regulation requiring people to be off the streets and in their homes by a certain time) · fr couvre-feu (fire accessory) · th เคอร์ฟิว (regulation requiring people to be off the streets and in their homes by a certain time) · sv utegångsförbud (regulation requiring people to be off the streets and in their homes by a certain time) · ro interdicție de ieșire din casă (regulation requiring people to be off the streets and in their homes by a certain time) · el απαγόρευση κυκλοφορίας (regulation requiring people to be off the streets and in their homes by a certain time) · vi lệnh giới nghiêm (regulation requiring people to be off the streets and in their homes by a certain time) · mi wā rāhui (regulation requiring people to be off the streets and in their homes by a certain time) · pt toque de recolher (signal indicating this time) · lt komendanto valanda (regulation requiring people to be off the streets and in their homes by a certain time) · hy պարետային ժամ (regulation requiring people to be off the streets and in their homes by a certain time) · nl uitgaansverbod (regulation requiring people to be off the streets and in their homes by a certain time) · ca cobrefoc (regulation requiring people to be off the streets and in their homes by a certain time) · ca toc de queda (time when such restriction begins) · fi ulkonaliikkumiskielto (regulation requiring people to be off the streets and in their homes by a certain time) · hi करफ़्यू (regulation requiring people to be off the streets and in their homes by a certain time) · nl avondklok (regulation requiring people to be off the streets and in their homes by a certain time) · km ខណ្ឌ (regulation requiring people to be off the streets and in their homes by a certain time) · it coprifuoco (historical regulation requiring fire to be covered/extinguished) · bg полице́йски час (regulation requiring people to be off the streets and in their homes by a certain time) · az komendant saatı (regulation requiring people to be off the streets and in their homes by a certain time) · sh полицијски час (regulation requiring people to be off the streets and in their homes by a certain time) · fo útigongubann (regulation requiring people to be off the streets and in their homes by a certain time) · pl godzina policyjna (regulation requiring people to be off the streets and in their homes by a certain time) · es toque de queda (time when such restriction begins) · fi määräys sammuttaa tulet yöksi (historical regulation requiring fire to be covered/extinguished) · bg вече́рна камба́на (evening bell) · ro oră de interdicție (time when such restriction begins) · da aftenklokke (evening bell) · ja 門限 (time when such restriction begins) · ta ஊரடங்கு (regulation requiring people to be off the streets and in their homes by a certain time) · ru коменда́нтский час (regulation requiring people to be off the streets and in their homes by a certain time) · pt toque de recolher (regulation requiring people to be off the streets and in their homes by a certain time) · sh policijski čas (regulation requiring people to be off the streets and in their homes by a certain time) · bg вече́рен час (historical regulation requiring fire to be covered/extinguished) · ca toc de queda (signal indicating this time) · it coprifuoco (regulation requiring people to be off the streets and in their homes by a certain time) · ro tocsin (signal indicating this time) · fr couvre-feu (signal indicating this time) · he עוצר \ עֹצֶר (regulation requiring people to be off the streets and in their homes by a certain time) · mk полициски час (regulation requiring people to be off the streets and in their homes by a certain time) · ru коменда́нтский час (time when such restriction begins) · lv komandantstunda (regulation requiring people to be off the streets and in their homes by a certain time) · da udgangsforbud (regulation requiring people to be off the streets and in their homes by a certain time)