curve
UK[kɜːv]US[kɜːrv]
n
a line that bends smoothly without angles
n
a shape or form that has a curved outline
v
to move or cause to move in a smooth, bending line
Etymology
The word 'curve' entered English in the late 15th century from the Latin adjective 'curvus', meaning 'bent, arched, crooked'. This Latin term is itself traced back to the Proto-Indo-European root sker- or ker-, which carried the core meaning of 'to turn, to bend'. The semantic journey is direct and logical: from the ancient concept of turning, the Latin word specified the state of being bent, which English then adopted to name both the bent line itself and the action of creating it. Unlike many scientific terms, it bypassed Greek and came directly into Middle English from Latin, retaining its fundamental geometrical sense.
Analysis
The word 'curve' is a simplex word derived as a whole from Latin. It does not contain separable, meaningful morphemes in its modern English spelling.
Examples
The road follows a gentle curve along the coastline.
She used a ruler to draw a perfect curve on the graph.
The ball curved unexpectedly in the air, surprising the goalkeeper.