- A line that deviates from straightness in a smooth, continuous fashion.
- A surface that deviates from planarity in a smooth, continuous fashion.
- Something characterized by such a line or surface, especially a rounded line or contour of the human body.
- A relatively smooth bend in a road or other course.
- A line representing data on a graph.
- A trend derived from or as if from such a graph: “Once again, the politicians are behind the curve” (Ted Kennedy).
- A graphic representation showing the relative performance of individuals as measured against each other, used especially as a method of grading students in which the assignment of grades is based on predetermined proportions of students.
- Mathematics.
- The graph of a function on a coordinate plane.
- The intersection of two surfaces in three dimensions.
- The graph of the solutions to any equation of two variables.
- Baseball . A curve ball.
- Slang. Something that is unexpected or designed to trick or deceive.
v., curved, curv·ing, curves. v.intr.
To move in or take the shape of a curve: The path curves around the lake.
v.tr.- To cause to curve. See synonyms at bend1.
- Baseball. To pitch a curve ball to.
- To grade (students, for example) on a curve.
[From Middle English, curved, from Latin curvus. N., sense 6, short for CURVE BALL.]
curvedness curv'ed·ness n.curvy curv'y adj.







