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Showing results for curlicue. Search instead for curlycue.
Synonyms

curlicue

American  
[kur-li-kyoo] / ˈkɜr lɪˌkyu /
Or curlycue

noun

  1. an ornamental, fancy curl or twist, as in a signature.


curlicue British  
/ ˈkɜːlɪˌkjuː /

noun

  1. an intricate ornamental curl or twist

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of curlicue

First recorded in 1835–45; curly + cue 2

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

On “Rated OG,” he adds intriguing curlicue accents to a chord progression rendered on vibraphone as a forceful, distorted bass riff chugs along underneath.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 28, 2025

Get it really cold and then a giant twist, not those little curlicue twists that they do sometimes.

From Salon • May 1, 2025

The wooden figure—with its shaggy white hair, black curlicue mustache, and cherubic pink cheeks—bears little resemblance to Donald Trump’s signature comb over and bronzed skin.

From Slate • Jun. 10, 2023

The movements that follow are arboreal portraits in music: a puckish, dancing duet for the bassoon and a violin; a mysterious nocturne; curlicue phrases choked into fragments; and patient brooding.

From New York Times • Feb. 8, 2022

Craig, who was suddenly interested in girls, had started taking his phone calls behind closed doors in the bathroom, the phone’s curlicue cord stretched taut across the hallway from its wall-mounted base in the kitchen.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama