curtain
UK[ˈkɜːtn̩]US[ˈkɜːrtn̩]
n
a piece of cloth, often decorative, that is hung to cover a window or divide a room
n
a screen of heavy cloth or metal in a theater that separates the stage from the auditorium
n
something that covers, hides, or separates like a curtain (e.g., a curtain of fog, the Iron Curtain)
Etymology
the word "curtain" has a journey that conceals a military origin. it derives from the old french "cortine," meaning a curtain, tapestry, or the screen around a bath. this old french term, in turn, came from the late latin "cortina," which originally signified a round vessel or cauldron, but also took on the meaning of an enclosure or curtain. the semantic shift from a cauldron to a hanging cloth is thought to be influenced by the latin "cohors" (enclosure, court), as a curtain creates a private enclosed space. thus, the modern sense of a cloth that covers or conceals an area evolved from this ancient concept of an enclosure or surrounding screen.
Analysis
this word is a simplex form. it entered english as a single lexical unit from old french, with its core meaning intact.
Examples
she drew the heavy velvet curtains to block out the afternoon sun.
the audience cheered as the final curtain fell at the end of the play.
a thick curtain of rain made driving on the highway extremely dangerous.