Part 2690

<p><b>2.</b> <fld>(Math.)</fld> <def>The amount of degree of bending of a mathematical curve, or the tendency at any point to depart from a tangent drawn to the curve at that point.</def>

<cs><col>Aberrancy of curvature</col> <fld>(Geom.)</fld>, <cd>the deviation of a curve from a curcular form.</cd> -<col>Absolute curvature</col>. <cd>See under <er>Absolute</er>.</cd> -- <col>Angle of curvature</col> <fld>(Geom.)</fld>, <cd>one that expresses the amount of curvature of a curve.</cd> -- <col>Chord of curvature</col>. <cd>See under <er>Chord</er>.</cd> -- <col>Circle of curvature</col>. <cd>See <cref>Osculating circle of a curve</cref>, under <er>Circle</er>.</cd> -- <col>Curvature of the spine</col> <fld>(Med.)</fld>, <cd>an abnormal curving of the spine, especially in a lateral direction.</cd> -- <col>Radius of curvature</col>, <cd>the radius of the circle of curvature, or osculatory circle, at any point of a curve.</cd></cs>

<h1>Curve</h1> <Xpage=358>

<hw>Curve</hw> <tt>(k?rv)</tt>, <tt>a.</tt> <ety>[L. <ets>curvus</ets> bent, curved. See <er>Cirb</er>.]</ety> <def>Bent without angles; crooked; curved; <as>as, a <ex>curve</ex> line; a <ex>curve</ex> surface.</as></def>

<h1>Curve</h1> <Xpage=358>

<hw>Curve</hw>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[See <er>Curve</er>, <tt>a.</tt>, <er>Cirb</er>.]</ety> <p><b>1.</b> <def>A bending without angles; that wcich is bent; a flexure; <as>as, a <ex>curve</ex> in a railway or canal</as>.</def>

<p><b>2.</b> <fld>(Geom.)</fld> <def>A line described according to some low, and having no finite portion of it a straight line.</def>

<cs><col>Axis of a curve</col>. <cd>See under <er>Axis</er>.</cd> -- <col>Curve of quickest descent</col>. <cd>See <er>Brachystochrone</er>.</cd> -- <col>Curve tracing</col> <fld>(Math.)</fld>, <cd>the process of determining the shape, location, singular points, and other perculiarities of a curve from its equation.</cd> -- <col>Plane curve</col> <fld>(Geom.)</fld>, <cd>a curve such that when a plane passes through three points of the curve, it passes through all the other points of the curve. Any other curve is called a <i>curve of double curvature</i>, or a <i>twisted curve</i>.</cd></cs>

<h1>Curve</h1> <Xpage=358>

<hw>Curve</hw>, <tt>v. t.</tt> <wordforms>[<tt>imp. & p.p.</tt> <er>Curved</er> <tt>(k?rvd)</tt>; <tt>p. pr. & vb. n.</tt> <er>Curving</er>.]</wordforms> <ety>[L. <ets>curvare</ets>., fr. <ets>curvus</ets>. See <er>Curve</er>, <tt>a.</tt>, <er>Curb</er>.]</ety> <def>To bend; to crook; <as>as, to <ex>curve</ex> a line; to <i>curve</i> a pipe</as>; to cause to swerve from a straight course; <as>as, to <ex>curve</ex> a ball in pitching it</as>.</def>

<h1>Curve</h1> <Xpage=358>

<hw>Curve</hw>, <tt>v. i.</tt> <def>To bend or turn gradually from a given direction; <as>as, the road <ex>curves</ex> to the right</as>.</def>

<h1>Curvedness</h1> <Xpage=358>

<hw>Curv"ed*ness</hw> <tt>(-?d-n?s)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <def>The state of being curved.</def>

<h1>Curvet</h1> <Xpage=358>

<hw>Cur"vet</hw> <tt>(k?r"v?t &or; k?r-v?t"; 277)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[OE. <ets>corvet</ets>, It.<ets>corvetta</ets>: cf. F. <ets>courbette</ets>. See <er>Curve</er>, and cf. <er>Corvetto</er>.]</ety> <p><b>1.</b> <fld>(Man.)</fld> <def>A particular leap of a horse, when he raises both his fore legs at once, equally advanced, and, as his fore legs are falling, raises his hind legs, so that all his legs are in the air at once.</def>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>A prank; a frolic.</def>

<h1>Curvet</h1> <Xpage=358>

<hw>Cur"vet</hw>, <tt>v. i.</tt> <wordforms>[<tt>imp. & p.p.</tt> <er>Curveted</er> or <er>-vetted</er>; <tt>p.pr. & vb. n.</tt> <er>Curveting</er> or <er>-vetting</er>.]</wordforms> <ety>[Cf. It. <ets>corvettare</ets>. See <er>Curvet</er>, <tt>n.</tt>]</ety> <p><b>1.</b> <def>To make a curvet; to leap; to bound. 'Oft and high he did <i>curvet</i>."

<i>Drayton.</i>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>To leap and frisk; to frolic.</def>

<i>Shak.</i>

<h1>Curvet</h1> <Xpage=358>

<hw>Cur"vet</hw>, <tt>v. t.</tt> <def>To cause to curvet.</def>

<i>Landor.</i>

<h1>Curvicaudate</h1> <Xpage=358>

<hw>Cur`vi*cau"date</hw> <tt>(k?r`v?-k?"d?t)</tt>, <tt>a.</tt> <ety>[L. <ets>curvus</ets> bent + E. <ets>caudate</ets>.]</ety> <fld>(Zo\'94l.)</fld> <def>Having a curved or crooked tail.</def>

<h1>Curvicostate</h1> <Xpage=358>