curtail

== English == === Etymology === Alteration of curtal, from Old French courtault (“which has been shortened”), itself from court (“short”) (from Latin curtus) + -ault === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /kɜːˈteɪl/ (US) IPA(key): /kɚˈteɪl/ Rhymes: -eɪl === Verb === curtail (third-person singular simple present curtails, present participle curtailing, simple past and past participle curtailed) (transitive, obsolete) To cut short the tail of (an animal). (transitive) To shorten or abridge the duration of; to bring an end to; to truncate. (transitive, figuratively) To limit or restrict; to keep in check. ==== Synonyms ==== (animal's tail): crop, dock (shorten): abbreviate, shorten; See also Thesaurus:shorten (limit): behedge, control, limit, restrain; See also Thesaurus:curb ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Related terms ==== curt curtal ==== Translations ==== === Noun === curtail (plural curtails) (architecture) A scroll termination, as of a step, etc. === Anagrams === trucial, urtical