Curtain

Curtain
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 hanging screen intended to darken or conceal, and admitting of being drawn back or up, and reclosed at pleasure; esp., drapery of cloth or lace hanging round a bed or at a window; in theaters, and like places, a movable screen for concealing the stage. [1913 Webster]

2. (Fort.) That part of the rampart and parapet which is between two bastions or two gates. See Illustrations of {Ravelin} and {Bastion}. [1913 Webster]

3. (Arch.) That part of a wall of a building which is between two pavilions, towers, etc. [1913 Webster]

4. A flag; an ensign; -- in contempt. [Obs.] --Shak. [1913 Webster]

{Behind the curtain}, in concealment; in secret.

{Curtain lecture}, a querulous lecture given by a wife to her husband within the bed curtains, or in bed. --Jerrold. [1913 Webster]

A curtain lecture is worth all the sermons in the world for teaching the virtues of patience and long-suffering. --W. Irving.

{The curtain falls}, the performance closes.

{The curtain rises}, the performance begins.

{To draw the curtain}, to close it over an object, or to remove it; hence: (a) To hide or to disclose an object. (b) To commence or close a performance.

{To drop the curtain}, to end the tale, or close the performance. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • 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 — (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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