a. [ L. curtus; cf. Skr. kart to cut. Cf. Curtail. ] Characterized by excessive brevity; short; rudely concise; as, curt limits; a curt answer. [ 1913 Webster ]

The curt, yet comprehensive reply. W. Irving. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Curtailed p. pr. & vb. n. Curtailing. ] [ See Curtal. ] To cut off the end or tail, or any part, of; to shorten; to abridge; to diminish; to reduce. [ 1913 Webster ]

I, that am curtailed of this fair proportion. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Our incomes have been curtailed; his salary has been doubled. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The scroll termination of any architectural member, as of a step, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

A dog with a docked tail; formerly, the dog of a person not qualified to course, which, by the forest laws, must have its tail cut short, partly as a mark, and partly from a notion that the tail is necessary to a dog in running; hence, a dog not fit for sporting. [ 1913 Webster ]

Hope is a curtail dog in some affairs. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who curtails. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act or result of curtailing or cutting off. Bancroft. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE.cortin, curtin, fr. OF. cortine, curtine, F. courtine, LL. cortina, curtian (in senses 1 and 2), also, small court, small inclosure surrounded by walls, from cortis court. See Court. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. A hanging screen intended to darken or conceal, and admitting of being drawn back or up, and reclosed at pleasure; esp., drapery of cloth or lace hanging round a bed or at a window; in theaters, and like places, a movable screen for concealing the stage. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Fort.) That part of the rampart and parapet which is between two bastions or two gates. See Illustrations of Ravelin and Bastion. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Arch.) That part of a wall of a building which is between two pavilions, towers, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. A flag; an ensign; -- in contempt. [ Obs. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Behind the curtain, in concealment; in secret. --
Curtain lecture, a querulous lecture given by a wife to her husband within the bed curtains, or in bed. Jerrold. [ 1913 Webster ] A curtain lecture is worth all the sermons in the world for teaching the virtues of patience and long-suffering. W. Irving. --
The curtain falls, the performance closes. --
The curtain rises, the performance begins. --
To draw the curtain, to close it over an object, or to remove it; hence: (a) To hide or to disclose an object. (b) To commence or close a performance. --
To drop the curtain, to end the tale, or close the performance. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Curtained p. pr. & vb. n. Curtaining. ] To inclose as with curtains; to furnish with curtains. [ 1913 Webster ]

So when the sun in bed
Curtained with cloudy red. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. furnished or concealed with curtains or draperies; as, a curtained alcove. Opposite of curtainless. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

adj. not provided with curtains; as, blank, curtainless windows stared back at her. Opposite of curtained.
Syn. -- uncurtained. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

a. [ OF. courtault, F. courtaud, having a docked tail (cf. It. cortaldo), fr. court short, L. curtus. See Curt, and Curtail. ] Curt; brief; laconic. [ 1913 Webster ]

Essays and curtal aphorisms. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

Curtal dog. See Curtail dog. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A horse with a docked tail; hence, anything cut short. [ Obs ] Nares. [ 1913 Webster ]

A friar who acted as porter at the gate of a monastery. Sir W. Scott. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The pointless sword carried before English monarchs at their coronation, and emblematically considered as the sword of mercy; -- also called the sword of Edward the Confessor. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. curtatus, p. p. of curtare to shorten, fr. curtus. See Curt. ] (Astron.) Shortened or reduced; -- said of the distance of a planet from the sun or earth, as measured in the plane of the ecliptic, or the distance from the sun or earth to that point where a perpendicular, let fall from the planet upon the plane of the ecliptic, meets the ecliptic. [ 1913 Webster ]

Curtate cycloid. (Math.) See Cycloid. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Astron.) The interval by which the curtate distance of a planet is less than the true distance. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Same as Curtana. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ . A corruption of Cutlass. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Courteous. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Curtesies [ Either fr. courlesy, the lands being held as it were by favor; or fr. court (LL. curtis), the husband being regarded as holding the lands as a vassal of the court. See Court, Courtesy. ] (Law) the life estate which a husband has in the lands of his deceased wife, which by the common law takes effect where he has had issue by her, born alive, and capable of inheriting the lands. Mozley & W. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OF. cortillage, curtillage, fr. cortil court, courtyard, LL. cortis court. See Court. ] (Law) A yard, courtyard, or piece of ground, included within the fence surrounding a dwelling house. Burrill. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a curt manner. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality of bing curt. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. An act of civility, respect, or reverence, made by women, consisting of a slight depression or dropping of the body, with bending of the knees. Same as 2nd Courtesy, n..
Syn. -- curtsy; courtesy. [ 1913 Webster + WordNet 1.5 ]

v. i. to perform a curtsy. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

v. t. [ L. decurtare; de- + curtare. ] To cut short; to curtail. [ Obs. ] Bale. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. decurtatio. ] Act of cutting short. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To inclose with curtains. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To curtain. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ 1st pref. un- + curtain. ] To remove a curtain from; to reveal. Moore. [ 1913 Webster ]