curfew
pronunciation
How to pronounce curfew in British English:
UK [ˈkɜːfjuː]
How to pronounce curfew in American English:
US [ˈkɜːrfjuː]
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- Noun:
- the time that the curfew signal is sounded
- a signal (usually a bell) announcing the start of curfew restrictions
- an order that after a specific time certain activities (as being outside on the streets) are prohibited
Word Origin
- curfew
- curfew: [13] Curfew means literally ‘coverfire’. It was introduced into English via Anglo-Norman coeverfu from Old French covrefeu, which was formed from covrir ‘cover’ and feu ‘fire’ (feu was a descendant of Latin focus ‘hearth’, which has given English focus, foyer, fuel, and fusillade). The notion underlying the word is that of a signal given at a particular time in the evening to extinguish all fires in a town, camp, etc; its original purpose seems to have been to prevent accidental fires breaking out at night.=> cover, focus, foyer, fuel
- curfew (n.)
- early 14c., "evening signal, ringing of a bell at a fixed hour," from Anglo-French coeverfu (late 13c.), from Old French cuevrefeu, literally "cover fire" (Modern French couvre-few), from cuevre, imperative of covrir "to cover" (see cover (v.)) + feu "fire" (see focus (n.)). The medieval practice of ringing a bell at fixed time in the evening as an order to bank the hearths and prepare for sleep. The original purpose was to prevent conflagrations from untended fires. The modern extended sense of "periodic restriction of movement" had evolved by 1800s.
Example
- 1. Parts of the city are now under a dusk-to-dawn curfew .
- 2. A curfew remains in place , with dozens of army and police checkpoints .
- 3. A curfew may come shortly .
- 4. In cairo , thousands of demonstrators have ignored a curfew .
- 5. Israeli military jeeps closed the roads and imposed a curfew on local palestinians .