Definition

(n) : A bending line or shape.

(v) : To bend smoothly without being straight.

Example

"(n) : The road has a curve."

"(n) : The car slowed down as it approached the sharp curve on the highway."

"(v) : The road curves gently to the left near the river."

Explanation

A curve is a smoothly bending line, shape, or movement that is not straight. For example, a road may have a curve, or handwriting may show beautiful curves. In mathematics, a curve is a line that continuously bends without sharp angles. As a verb, “to curve” means to bend or move in a curved way. Curves are everywhere in nature (a rainbow, a river’s path, a hill) and in design (art, roads, buildings). The word can also be used figuratively, like “learning curve,” meaning the time and effort needed to learn something.