curtal

curtal

English

Etymology

From older French courtault (modern French courtaud), from court (“short”) + -ault (pejorative suffix).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈkəːtəl/

Noun

curtal (plural curtals)

1. (historical) A variety of short-barrelled cannon.
2. (music) An early type of bassoon.
3. (obsolete) A horse or other animal having a docked tail.
4. (obsolete) Anything docked or cut short.

Adjective

curtal (comparative more curtal, superlative most curtal)

1. (obsolete) Of horses, having a docked tail.
2. (now rare) Physically shortened; short.
   • 1969, Vladimir Nabokov, Ada or Ardor, Penguin 2011, page 98:

     she had loosened her hair and changed into the curtal frock of sunbright cotton that he was so fond of and had so ardently yearned to soil in the so recent past.

3. (obsolete) Abridged, curtailed.
   • Milton:

     essays and curtal aphorisms

Derived terms

• curtal friar