curb

• POS: Noun, Verb (transitive)

CIDE DICTIONARY

curb, v. t. [F. courber to bend, curve, L.curvare, fr. curvus bent, curved; cf. Gr. kyrto`s curved. Cf. Curve.].

•  To bend or curve.  [1913 Webster]

  "Crooked and curbed lines."  [1913 Webster]
•  To guide and manage, or restrain, as with a curb; to bend to one's will; to subject; to subdue; to restrain; to confine; to keep in check.  [1913 Webster]

  "Part wield their arms, part curb the foaming steed."  [1913 Webster]

  "Where pinching want must curb thy warm desires."  [1913 Webster]
•  To furnish with a curb, as a well; also, to restrain by a curb, as a bank of earth.  [1913 Webster]

curb, v. i. 

 To bend; to crouch; to cringe.  [1913 Webster]
"Virtue itself of vice must pardon beg,
Yea, curb and woo for leave to do him good."  [1913 Webster]

curb, n. 

•  That which curbs, restrains, or subdues; a check or hindrance; esp., a chain or strap attached to the upper part of the branches of a bit, and capable of being drawn tightly against the lower jaw of the horse.  [1913 Webster]

  "He that before ran in the pastures wild
  Felt the stiff curb control his angry jaws."  [1913 Webster]

  "By these men, religion,that should be
  The curb, is made the spur of tyranny."  [1913 Webster]
•  An assemblage of three or more pieces of timber, or a metal member, forming a frame around an opening, and serving to maintain the integrity of that opening; also, a ring of stone serving a similar purpose, as at the eye of a dome.  [1913 Webster]
•  A frame or wall round the mouth of a well; also, a frame within a well to prevent the earth caving in.  [1913 Webster]
•  A curbstone.  [1913 Webster]
•  A swelling on the back part of the hind leg of a horse, just behind the lowest part of the hock joint, generally causing lameness.  James Law.  [1913 Webster]

Curb bit, a stiff bit having branches by which a leverage is obtained upon the jaws of horse. Knight. -- Curb pins (Horology), the pins on the regulator which restrain the hairspring. -- Curb plate (Arch.), a plate serving the purpose of a curb. -- Deck curb. See under Deck.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

curb, n. & v.
--n.
1 a check or restraint.
2 a strap etc. fastened to the bit and passing under a horse's lower jaw, used as a check.
3 an enclosing border or edging such as the frame round the top of a well or a fender round a hearth.
4 = KERB.
--v.tr.
1 restrain.
2 put a curb on (a horse).

Idiom

curb roof a roof of which each face has two slopes, the lower one steeper.

Etymology

ME f. OF courber f. L curvare bend, CURVE

THESAURUS

curb

American Stock Exchange, Amex, Tarmac, Tarvia, Wall Street, abstain, arrest, arrestation, asphalt, back band, backpedal, backstrap, backwater, bearing rein, bellyband, bit, bitumen, bituminous macadam, blacktop, blinders, blinds, board, border stone, bottle up, bourse, brake, breeching, brick, bridle, caparison, cavesson, cement, chain, check, checkrein, cheekpiece, chinband, chock, cinch, clip the wings, clog, cobble, cobblestone, collar, commodity exchange, concrete, constrain, constraint, contain, control, cool, cool off, cooling, cooling down, cooling off, corn pit, countercheck, crownband, crupper, curb bit, curb exchange, curb market, curbing, curbstone, curtail, curtailment, dam up, damp, dampen, damper, decelerate, deceleration, delay, detain, dompt, doorstop, drag, drag sail, draw rein, drift anchor, drift sail, drogue, ease off, ease up, edgestone, enjoin, entrammel, exchange, exchange floor, fetter, flag, flagging, flagstone, gag swivel, girth, govern, gravel, guard, hackamore, halter, hames, hametugs, hamper, harness, headgear, headstall, hinder, hindrance, hip straps, hobble, hog-tie, hold, hold at bay, hold back, hold down, hold fast, hold in, hold in check, hold in leash, hold up, holdback, impede, inhibit, inhibition, injunction, intercept, interdict, interfere, intermeddle, interrupt, intervene, jaquima, jerk line, keep, keep back, keep from, keep in, keep in check, keep under control, kerb, kerbstone, lay under restraint, leash, legal restraint, let down, let up, lines, lose ground, lose momentum, lose speed, macadam, manacle, martingale, meddle, moderate, monopoly, noseband, obstruct, oppose, outside market, over-the-counter market, pavement, pavestone, paving, paving stone, pelham, pit, pole strap, prohibit, prohibition, protection, protectionism, protective tariff, pull, pull in, quotation board, rationing, reef, refrain, rein, rein in, reins, relax, remora, repress, resist, restrain, restraint, restraint of trade, retard, retardation, retrench, retrenchment, ribbons, road metal, saddle, scotch, sea anchor, self-control, set back, shackle, shaft tug, side check, slack off, slack up, slacken, slow, slow down, slow up, slowing down, snaffle, snub, spoke, stay, stock exchange, stock market, stock ticker, stone, stop, straiten, subdue, suppress, surcingle, tack, tackle, take in sail, tariff wall, tarmacadam, telephone market, the Big Board, the Exchange, third market, thought control, throttle down, ticker, ticker tape, tie, tie up, tile, trammel, trappings, tug, washboard, wheat pit, winker braces, withhold, yoke

ROGET THESAURUS

curb

Dissuasion

N dissuasion, dehortation, expostulation, remonstrance, deprecation, discouragement, damper, wet blanket, disillusionment, disenchantment, cohibition, curb, check, reluctance, contraindication, dissuading, dissuasive, dehortatory, expostulatory, monitive, monitory, dissuaded, admonitory, uninduced &c (induce), unpersuadable, averse, repugnant, repressed.

Restraint

N restraint, hindrance, coercion, cohibition, constraint, repression, suppression, discipline, control, confinement, durance, duress, imprisonment, incarceration, coarctation, entombment, mancipation, durance vile, limbo, captivity, blockade, arrest, arrestation, custody, keep, care, charge, ward, restringency, curb, lettres de cachet, limitation, restriction, protection, monopoly, prohibition, prisoner, repressionist, restrained, constrained, imprisoned, pent up, jammed in, wedged in, under lock and key, under restraint, under hatches, in swaddling clothes, on parole, in custody, doing time, cohibitive, coactive, stiff, restringent, strait-laced, hidebound, barkbound, ice bound, wind bound, weather bound, cabined cribbed confined, in Lob's pound, laid by the heels.

VB restrain, check, put under restraint, lay under restraint, enthral, enthrall, inthral, inthrall, bethral, bethrall, restrict, debar, constrain, coerce, curb, control, hold back, hold from, hold in, hold in check, hold within bounds, keep back, keep from, keep in, keep in check, keep within bounds, hold in leash, hold in leading strings, withhold, keep under, repress, suppress, smother, pull in, rein in, hold, hold fast, keep a tight hand on, prohibit, inhibit, cohibit, enchain, fasten, fetter, shackle, entrammel, bridle, muzzle, hopple, gag, pinion, manacle, handcuff, tie one's hands, hobble, bind hand and foot, swathe, swaddle, pin down, tether, picket, tie down, tie up, secure, forge fetters, disable, hamstring (incapacitate), confine, shut up, shut in, clap up, lock up, box up, mew up, bottle up, cork up, seal up, button up, hem in, bolt in, wall in, rail in, impound, pen, coop, inclose, cage, incage, encage, close the door upon, cloister, imprison, immure, incarcerate, entomb, clap under hatches, lay under hatches, put in irons, put in a strait-waistcoat, throw into prison, cast into prison, put into bilboes, arrest, take up, take charge of, take into custody, take prisoner, take captive, make prisoner, make captive, captivate, lead captive, lead into captivity, send to prison, commit to prison, commit, give in charge, give in custody, subjugate.

Prison

N prison, prison house, jail, gaol, cage, coop, den, cell, stronghold, fortress, keep, donjon, dungeon, Bastille, oubliette, bridewell, house of correction, hulks, tollbooth, panopticon, penitentiary, guardroom, lockup, hold, round house, watch house, station house, sponging house, station, house of detention, black hole, pen, fold, pound, inclosure, isolation (exclusion), penal settlement, penal colony, bilboes, stocks, limbo, quod, calaboose, chauki, choky, thana, workhouse, Newgate, Fleet, Marshalsea, King's Bench, Queen's Bench, bond, bandage, irons, pinion, gyve, fetter, shackle, trammel, manacle, handcuff, straight jacket, strait jacket, strait-jacket, strait-waistcoat, hopples, vice, vise, yoke, collar, halter, harness, muzzle, gag, bit, brake, curb, snaffle, bridle, rein, reins, bearing rein, martingale, leading string, tether, picket, band, guy, chain, cord, cavesson, hackamore, headstall, jaquima, lines, ribbons, bolt, deadbolt, bar, lock, police lock, combination lock, padlock, rail, wall, stone wall, paling, palisade, fence, picket fence, barbed wire fence, Cyclone fence, stockade fence, chain-link fence, barrier, barricade, drag.

Moderation

VB be moderate, keep within bounds, keep within compass, sober down, settle down, keep the peace, remit, relent, take in sail, moderate, soften, mitigate, temper, accoy, attemper, contemper, mollify, lenify, dulcify, dull, take off the edge, blunt, obtund, sheathe, subdue, chasten, sober down, tone down, smooth down, weaken, lessen, check palliate, tranquilize, pacify, assuage, appease, swag, lull, soothe, compose, still, calm, calm down, cool, quiet, hush, quell, sober, pacify, tame, damp, lay, allay, rebate, slacken, smooth, alleviate, rock to sleep, deaden, smooth, throw cold water on, throw a wet blanket over, turn off, slake, curb, tame, smooth over, pour oil on the waves, pour oil on the troubled waters, pour balm into, mattre de l'eau dans son vin, go out like a lamb, roar you as gently as any sucking dove.

Slowness

VB move slowly, creep, crawl, lag, slug, drawl, linger, loiter, saunter, plod, trudge, stump along, lumber, trail, drag, dawdle, grovel, worm one's way, steal along, job on, rub on, bundle on, toddle, waddle, wabble, slug, traipse, slouch, shuffle, halt, hobble, limp, caludicate, shamble, flag, falter, trotter, stagger, mince, step short, march in slow time, march in funeral procession, take one's time, hang fire, retard, relax, slacken, check, moderate, rein in, curb, reef, strike sail, shorten sail, take in sail, put on the drag, apply the brake, clip the wings, reduce the speed, slacken speed, slacken one's pace, lose ground.