Dictionary

curtal en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• /ˈkəːtəl/ (UK)

Etymology

From older French courtault (modern French courtaud), from court (“short”) + -ault (pejorative suffix).

Meanings

1. (obsolete) Of horses, having a docked tail.
2. (archaic) Physically shortened; short.
   • she had loosened her hair and changed into the curtal frock of sunbright cotton that he was so fond of and had so ardently yearned to soil in the so recent past. 1969, Vladimir Nabokov, Ada or Ardor, Penguin, published 2011, page 98:
3. (obsolete) Abridged, curtailed.
   • essays and curtal aphorisms 1649, J[ohn] Milton, ΕΙΚΟΝΟΚΛΆΣΤΗΣ [Eikonoklástēs] […], London: […] Matthew Simmons, […], →OCLC:

Forms

Deriveds

curtal friar

Relateds

curtal-axe

curtal en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈkəːtəl/ (UK)

Etymology

From older French courtault (modern French courtaud), from court (“short”) + -ault (pejorative suffix).

Meanings

1. (historical) A variety of short-barrelled cannon.
2. An early type of bassoon.
3. (obsolete) A horse or other animal having a docked tail.
4. (obsolete) Anything docked or cut short.

Forms