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curt

(kûrt)

adj. curt·er, curt·est

1. Rudely brief or abrupt, as in speech or manner: was curt and businesslike in the meeting; acknowledged him with a curt nod. See Synonyms at gruff.

2. Terse or condensed: a curt text message.

[Middle English, short, brief, from Anglo-Norman, from Latin curtus; see sker-¹ in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

curtly adv.

curtness n.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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