curves

noun

A gentle bend, such as in a road.

A simple figure containing no straight portions and no angles; a curved line.

A grading system based on the scale of performance of a group used to normalize a right-skewed grade distribution (with more lower scores) into a bell curve, so that more can receive higher grades, regardless of their actual knowledge of the subject.

(informal, usually in the plural) The attractive shape of a woman's body.

(analytic geometry) A continuous map from a one-dimensional space to a multidimensional space.

(geometry) A one-dimensional figure of non-zero length; the graph of a continuous map from a one-dimensional space.

(algebraic geometry) An algebraic curve; a polynomial relation of the planar coordinates.

(topology) A one-dimensional continuum.

(nonstandard, by extension) A grading system where all raw scores are raised by a set amount of points.

verb

(transitive) To bend; to crook.

(transitive) To cause to swerve from a straight course.

(intransitive) To bend or turn gradually from a given direction.

(transitive) To grade on a curve (bell curve of a normal distribution).

(transitive, slang) To reject, to turn down romantic advances.

adjective

(obsolete) Bent without angles; crooked; curved.

Roots

curvuscurv- · Latin · bent, curved

Synonyms & related words for curves

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Words related to curves

Explore words related to curves — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include curvature, incurve, curviness, curvy, flexuosity, bend, curving, excurved. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Where does curves come from?

The word curves breaks down into one root of Latin origin: the root curv-, from Latin curvus (“bent, curved”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.