Revised 2019 More entries for "curdle"

curdlenoun2

Etymology
Meaning & use
Pronunciation
Frequency

Quotations

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Factsheet

What does the noun curdle mean?

There are two meanings listed in OED's entry for the noun curdle. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.

This word is used in English regional dialect.

See meaning & use

How common is the noun curdle?

Fewer than 0.01occurrences per million words in modern written English

1820	0.027
1830	0.027
1840	0.026
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

1820s

The earliest known use of the noun curdle is in the 1820s.

OED's earliest evidence for curdle is from 1821, in the writing of John Clare, poet, farm labourer, and naturalist.

curdle is a variant or alteration of another lexical item.

Etymons: curl n.

See etymology

Nearby entries

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–
curd mill, n.1378–

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.²

Originally published as part of the entry for curdle, n.¹

curdle, n.² was revised in June 2019.

curdle, n.² 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.² 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.²

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Nearby entries

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–
curd mill, n.1378–

Browse more nearby entries