Revised 2019 More entries for "curdle"

curdlenoun1

Etymology
Meaning & use
Pronunciation
Frequency

Quotations

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Factsheet

What does the noun curdle mean?

There is one meaning in OED's entry for the noun curdle. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definition, usage, and quotation evidence.

See meaning & use

How common is the noun curdle?

Fewer than 0.01occurrences per million words in modern written English

1750	0.0098
1760	0.011
1770	0.011
1780	0.01
1790	0.013
1800	0.016
1810	0.017
1820	0.02
1830	0.022
1840	0.024
1850	0.025
1860	0.025
1870	0.022
1880	0.021
1890	0.018
1900	0.016
1910	0.014
1920	0.012
1930	0.011
1940	0.0095
1950	0.0085
1960	0.0075
1970	0.007
1980	0.0067
1990	0.0065
2000	0.0066
2010	0.0068

See frequency

How is the noun curdle pronounced?

British English

/ˈkəːdl/

KUR-duhl

U.S. English

/ˈkərd(ə)l/

KUR-duhl

See pronunciation

Where does the noun curdle come from?

Earliest known use

late 1500s

The earliest known use of the noun curdle is in the late 1500s.

OED's earliest evidence for curdle is from before 1591, in the writing of Henry Smith, Church of England clergyman.

It is also recorded as a verb from the late 1500s.

curdle is formed within English, by conversion.

Etymons: curdle v.

See etymology

Nearby entries

curcuma, n.1617–
curcumin, n.1850–
curd, n.1378–
curd, v.a1382–
curd cake, n.1675–
curd cheese, n.1728–
curded, adj.a1425–
curdiness, n.1824–
curding, n.a1398–
curding, adj.1742–
curdle, n.¹a1591–
curdle, n.²1821–
curdle, v.1579–
curdled, adj.1590–
curdled cheese, n.1615–
curdler, n.1786–
curdless, adj.1841–
curd-like, adj.1611–
curdling, n.1585–
curdling, adj.1650–
curdly, adj.1657–

Browse more nearby entries

Etymology

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Meaning & use

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Pronunciation

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Frequency

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Entry history for curdle, n.¹

curdle, n.¹ was revised in June 2019.

curdle, n.¹ was last modified in July 2023.

oed.com is a living text, updated every three months. Modifications may include:

further revisions to definitions, pronunciation, etymology, headwords, variant spellings, quotations, and dates;
new senses, phrases, and quotations.

Revisions and additions of this kind were last incorporated into curdle, n.¹ in July 2023.

Earlier versions of this entry were published in:

OED First Edition (1893)

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OED Second Edition (1989)

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View curdle, n. in OED Second Edition

Cite

Chicago

Oxford English Dictionary, s.v. “,” , .

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MLA9

“” Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford UP, , .

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Citation details

Factsheet for curdle, n.¹

Browse entry

Nearby entries

curcuma, n.1617–
curcumin, n.1850–
curd, n.1378–
curd, v.a1382–
curd cake, n.1675–
curd cheese, n.1728–
curded, adj.a1425–
curdiness, n.1824–
curding, n.a1398–
curding, adj.1742–
curdle, n.¹a1591–
curdle, n.²1821–
curdle, v.1579–
curdled, adj.1590–
curdled cheese, n.1615–
curdler, n.1786–
curdless, adj.1841–
curd-like, adj.1611–
curdling, n.1585–
curdling, adj.1650–
curdly, adj.1657–

Browse more nearby entries