# curl

> English word · Noun · IPA /kɜːl/ · frequency rank #14,502

## Definitions
1. A curving piece or lock of hair; a ringlet.
2. A curved stroke or shape.
3. A spin making the trajectory of an object curve.
4. Movement of a moving rock away from a straight line.
5. Any exercise performed by bending the arm, wrist, or leg on the exertion against resistance, especially those that train the biceps.
6. The vector field denoting the rotationality of a given vector field.
7. The vector operator, denoted rm curl; or ⃑∇×⃑(·), that generates this field.
8. Any of various diseases of plants causing the leaves or shoots to curl up; often specifically the potato curl.
9. The contrasting light and dark figure seen in wood used for stringed instrument making; the flame.
10. A pattern where the receiver appears to be running a fly pattern but after a set number of steps or yards quickly stops and turns around, looking for a pass.
11. A thin, curved piece of chocolate used as decoration.
12. The concave part of a breaking wave.

## Etymology
From metathesis of Middle English crulle (“curled, curly”), of uncertain origin but probably from an unrecorded Old English word or from Middle Dutch crul, crulle (“curl”), ultimately from Proto-Germanic *kruzlǭ (“bent or crooked object, curl”), connected to *krūsą (“curl”), of unknown origin.
Cognate with Saterland Frisian Krulle (“curl, lock”), West Frisian krul (“curl”), Dutch krul (“curl”), German Low German Krull (“curl”), dialectal German Krolle (“curl”), Danish krølle (“curl”), Norwegian Bokmål krøll (“curl”). Related also to Saterland Frisian Kruus (“curl”), German kraus (“frizzy, crumpled, curly”), Danish krus (“curl”), Swedish krusa (“to crimp, curl”). Compare also Gothic 𐌺𐍂𐌹𐌿𐍃𐍄𐌰𐌽 (kriustan, “to grind, crush, gnash”).

## Easily confused with
- **cut** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/curl-vs-cut)
- **cuz** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/curl-vs-cuz)
- **cute** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/curl-vs-cute)
- **cuts** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/curl-vs-cuts)
- **curt** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/curl-vs-curt)
- **cusp** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/curl-vs-cusp)
- **cuss** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/curl-vs-cuss)
- **curve** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/curl-vs-curve)
- **curse** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/curl-vs-curse)
- **curry** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/curl-vs-curry)
- **curly** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/curl-vs-curly)
- **Cyril** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/curl-vs-cyril)
- **curvy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/curl-vs-curvy)
- **curled** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/curl-vs-curled)
- **Curley** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/curl-vs-curley)
- **CR** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cr-vs-curl)
- **Cl** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cl-vs-curl)
- **CU** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cu-vs-curl)
- **car** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/car-vs-curl)
- **cup** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cup-vs-curl)

## Common misspellings (6)
`ccurl`, `crul`, `culr`, `curll`, `currl`, `ucrl`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/curl