curl up

British  

verb

1. (intr) to adopt a reclining position with the legs close to the body and the back rounded

2. to become or cause to become spiral-shaped or curved

3. (intr) to retire to a quiet cosy setting

   to curl up with a good novel

4. informal  to be or cause to be embarrassed or disgusted (esp in the phrase curl up and die )

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curl up Idioms  

1. Assume a position with the legs drawn up; settle down for sleep in this posture. For example, I love to curl up with a good book . [c. 1900]

2. curl up and die . Retreat, collapse, die, as in At first the horse was ahead but in the home stretch she curled up and died , or I'll just curl up and die if he shows up . This colorful expression for collapsing or dying is often used hyperbolically (second example). [Early 1900s]

3. curl someone up . Kill someone, as in The sheriff said he'd curl up that outlaw . This usage originated as cowboy slang in the second half of the 1800s.

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Example Sentences

Every few seconds, he curled up inside, then climbed back out to wrestle with the flapping tarp.

From Salon

More recently, he was caught curled up asleep on his own heating pad.

From Los Angeles Times

Less than a day after an exhausting six-and-a-half hour, 18-inning victory over the Toronto Blue Jays, the Dodgers curled up in the corner with a cold washcloth while the Jays smothered them with it.

From Los Angeles Times

After a long day, I find myself wishing I could curl up with French onion soup or tuck into a perfectly pink steak frites.

From Salon

On a cold September morning, Jamie Smart discovered an orb-weaver spider curled up inside its silken hideaway.

From BBC

Related Words

• cluster
• confer
• consult
• converge
• crouch
• cuddle
• gather
• snuggle