curtail

¹

[ ker-teyl ]

verb (used with object)

1. to cut short; cut off a part of; abridge; reduce; diminish.

   Synonyms: dock, lessen

curtail

²

[ kur-teyl ]

noun

, Architecture.

1. a horizontal, spiral termination to the lower end of a stair railing.
2. Also called curtail step. a starting step having a scroll termination to one or both ends of the tread.

curtail

/ kɜːˈteɪl /

verb

1. tr to cut short; abridge

Derived Forms

• curˈtailment, noun
• curˈtailer, noun

Other Words From

• cur·tailed·ly adverb
• cur·tail·er noun
• cur·tail·ment noun
• non·cur·tail·ing adjective
• un·cur·tailed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of curtail¹

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English curtailen “to restrict” (said of royal succession or inheritance), probably a conflation of Middle French courtau(l)d ( curtal ) and Middle English taillen “to cut” ( taille, tailor ¹ )

Origin of curtail²

Probably alteration, by folk etymology, of curtal

Word History and Origins

Origin of curtail¹

C16: changed (through influence of tail ¹) from obsolete curtal to dock; see curtal

Synonym Study

See shorten.

Example Sentences

And he also fears the Kw’tsán monument could curtail access to the heavily trafficked Glamis and Imperial sand dunes — even though they lie outside the envisioned boundaries — due to “spillover management effects.”

From Los Angeles Times

In a letter to the Trump transition team, the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention urged the Trump to take steps to curtail access to the abortion pill mifepristone.

From Los Angeles Times

During this election cycle, Trump campaigned on backing states' decisions on whether to expand or curtail abortion access and vowed to veto a federal abortion ban should it ever reach his desk.

From Salon

Significant as the HHS role is, Kennedy would still find his powers curtailed by the limits of the agency’s reach — and potentially by the whims of his boss.

From Los Angeles Times

This is the third year in a row a country hosting the climate summit has been accused of oppression and curtailing the legal right to protest.

From BBC

Related Words

• cut back
• decrease
• diminish
• downsize
• halt
• lessen
• reduce
• shorten
• slash
• trim