curtain

curtain
I. noun Etymology: Middle English curtine, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin cortina (translation of Greek aulaia, from aulē court), from Latin cohort-, cohors enclosure, court — more at court Date: 14th century 1. a hanging screen usually capable of being drawn back or up; especially window drapery 2. a device or agency that conceals or acts as a barrier — compare iron curtain 3. a. the part of a bastioned front that connects two neighboring bastions b. (1) a similar stretch of plain wall (2) a nonbearing exterior wall 4. a. the movable screen separating the stage from the auditorium of a theater b. the ascent or opening (as at the beginning of a play) of a stage curtain; also its descent or closing (as at the end of an act) c. the final situation, line, or scene of an act or play d. the time at which a theatrical performance begins e. plural end; especially death <
it will be curtains for us if we're caught
>
curtainless adjective II. transitive verb (curtained; curtaining) Date: 14th century 1. to furnish with or as if with curtains 2. to veil or shut off with or as if with a curtain

New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.

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  • curtain — [kʉrt′ n] n. [ME & OFr cortine < LL(Ec) cortina, lit. a cauldron, enclosing circle of a theater, curtain (< IE base * (s)ker , to CURVE); used in Vulg. instead of L cors, cohors (see COURT) to translate Gr aulaia, curtain (esp. in a… …   English World dictionary

  • Curtain — Cur tain (k[^u]r t[i^]n; 48), n. [OE.cortin, curtin,fr. OF. cortine, curtine, F. courtine, LL. cortina, curtian (in senses 1 and 2), also, small court, small inclosure surrounded by walls, from cortis court. See {Court}.] [1913 Webster] 1. A… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • curtain — (n.) c.1300, from O.Fr. cortine curtain, tapestry, drape, blanket, from L.L. cortina curtain, but in classical Latin round vessel, cauldron, from L. cortem (older cohortem) enclosure, courtyard (see COHORT (Cf. cohort)). The confusion apparently… …   Etymology dictionary

  • curtain — ► NOUN 1) a piece of material suspended at the top to form a screen, hung at a window in pairs or between the stage and auditorium of a theatre. 2) (the curtain) the rise or fall of a stage curtain between acts or scenes. 3) (curtains) informal a …   English terms dictionary

  • curtain up — noun (theatre) The beginning of a performance • • • Main Entry: ↑curtain …   Useful english dictionary

  • Curtain — Cur tain, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Curtained} (k[^u]r t[i^]nd; 48); p. pr. & vb. n. {Curtaining}.] To inclose as with curtains; to furnish with curtains. [1913 Webster] So when the sun in bed Curtained with cloudy red. Milton. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Curtain Up! — (2009) is an announced British stage comedy by Peter Quilter, a reworking of his own all female first play Respecting Your Piers[1] (1998). It is to be re published by Samuel French Ltd. The show is popular[citation needed] with amateur groups in …   Wikipedia

  • curtain — index blind (obscure), camouflage, cessation (termination), cloak, conceal, cover (conceal) …   Law dictionary

  • curtain — [n] window covering blind, decoration, drape, drapery, film, hanging, jalousie, oleo, portiere, rag, roller, screen, shade, shield, shroud, shutter, valance, veil, Venetian blind; concept 444 …   New thesaurus

  • Curtain — For other uses, see Curtain (disambiguation). For religious use, see Veil. Curtains at a Bed Breakfast. A curtain (sometimes known as a drape, mainly in the United States) is a piece of cloth intended to block or obscure light, or drafts, or… …   Wikipedia

  • curtain — curtainless, adj. /kerr tn/, n. 1. a hanging piece of fabric used to shut out the light from a window, adorn a room, increase privacy, etc. 2. a movable or folding screen used for similar purposes. 3. Chiefly New Eng. a window shade. 4. Theat. a …   Universalium

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