Curtail

Pronunciation: /kərˈteɪl/

Definitions of curtail

verb to reduce in extent or quantity; to cut short

Example Sentences

A1 I curtailed my spending to save money.

A2 The company had to curtail its production due to a lack of resources.

B1 The government decided to curtail funding for the project.

B2 In order to meet the deadline, we had to curtail some of the features of the software.

C1 The new regulations aim to curtail the use of single-use plastics.

C2 The CEO implemented a plan to curtail expenses and increase profits.

Examples of curtail in a Sentence

formal The government decided to curtail spending in order to reduce the budget deficit.

informal I had to curtail my shopping spree because I ran out of money.

slang I had to curtail my Netflix binge to finish my homework.

figurative She felt like her wings were curtailed when her parents imposed strict rules on her.

Grammatical Forms of curtail

• past tense: curtailed
• plural: curtails
• comparative: more curtailed
• superlative: most curtailed
• present tense: curtail
• future tense: will curtail
• perfect tense: has curtailed
• continuous tense: is curtailing
• singular: curtail
• positive degree: curtail
• infinitive: to curtail
• gerund: curtailing
• participle: curtailed

Origin and Evolution of curtail

First Known Use: 1300 year

Language of Origin: Middle English

Story behind the word: The word 'curtail' originated from the Middle English word 'curtailen' which means to cut short or reduce.

Evolution of the word: Over time, the word 'curtail' has retained its meaning of cutting short or reducing, but has also come to be used in a more general sense of limiting or restricting something.