Emily Dickinson Lexicon

CUR-MUD'GEON, n. [Fr. cœur, heart, and mechant, evil. Nares. Qu.]

An avaricious churlish fellow; a miser; a niggard; a churl. – Hudibras.

CUR-MUD'GEON-LY, a.

Avaricious; covetous; niggardly; churlish. – L'Estrange.

CUR'RANT, n. [from Corinth.]

1. The fruit of a well known shrub belonging to the genus Ribes, of which Grossularia is now considered a species; the grossberry or gooseberry and the currant falling under the same genus. Currants are of various species and varieties; as, the common red and white currants, and the black currant.
2. A small kind of dried grape, imported from the Levant, chiefly from Zante and Cephalonia; used in cookery.

CUR'REN-CY, n. [See Current.]

1. Literally, a flowing, running or passing; a continued or uninterrupted course like that of a stream; as, the currency of time. – Ayliffe.
2. A continued course in public opinion, belief, or reception; a passing from person to person, or from age to age; as, a report has had a long or general currency. – Johnson.
3. A continual passing from hand to hand, as coin or bills of credit; circulation; as, the currency of cents, or of English crowns; the currency of bank bills or of treasury notes.
4. Fluency; readiness of utterance; but in this sense we generally use fluency.
5. General estimation; the rate at which any thing is generally valued. He takes greatness of kingdoms according to their bulk and currency, and not after intrinsic value. – Bacon.
6. That which is current or in circulation, as a medium of trade. The word may be applied to coins, or to bills issued by authority. It is often applied to bank notes, and to notes issued by Government. – Crawford.

CUR'RENT, a. [L. currens, from curro, to flow or run; Fr. courir, whence courier, and discourir, to discourse, concourir, to concur, &c.; It. correre; Sp. and Port. correr, to run; W. gyru, to drive or run; Eng. hurry. It seems to be connected with the root of car, cart, chariot, like currus. See Ar. كَارَ kaura, and جَرَي garai. Class Gr, No. 7, 32, 15.]

1. Literally, flowing, running, passing. Hence, passing from person to person, or from hand to hand; circulating; as, current opinions; current coin. Hence, common, general or fashionable; generally received; popular; as, the current notions of the day or age; current folly. – Watts. Swift. Pope.
2. Established by common estimation; generally received; as, the current value of coin.
3. Passable; that may be allowed or admitted. – Shak.
4. Now passing; present in its course; as, the current month or year.

CUR'RENT, n.

1. A flowing or passing; a stream; applied to fluids; as, a current of water, or of air. The gulf stream is a remarkable current in the Atlantic. A current sets into the Mediterranean.
2. Course; progressive motion, or movement; continuation; as, the current of time.
3. A connected series; successive course; as, the current of events.
4. General or main course; as, the current of opinion.

CURRENTE-CALAMO, adv. [L. Currente calamo.]

The pen running; with the pen running.

CUR'RENT-LY, adv.

In constant motion; with continued progression. Hence, commonly; generally; popularly; with general reception; as, the story is currently reported and believed.

CUR'RENT-NESS, n.

1. Currency; circulation; general reception.
2. Fluency; easiness of pronunciation. [Not much used.]

CUR'RI-CLE, n. [L. curriculum, from curro, to run.]

1. A chaise or carriage with two wheels, drawn by two horses abreast.
2. A chariot. [Not in use.]
3. A course. [Not in use.]

CUR-RIC'U-LUM, n. [L.]

A race course; a place for running a chariot, &c.

CUR'RI-ED, pp. [See Curry.]

Dressed by currying; dressed as leather; cleaned; prepared.

CUR'RIER, n. [L. coriarius; Fr. corroyeur. See Curry.]

A man who dresses and colors leather, after it is tanned.]

CUR'RISH, a. [See Cur.]

Like a cur; having the qualities of a cur; brutal; malignant; snappish; snarling; churlish; intractable; quarrelsome. – Sidney. Fairfax. Shak.

CUR'RISH-LY, adv.

Like a cur; in a brutal manner.

CUR'RISH-NESS, n.

Moroseness; churlishness. – Feltham.

CUR'RY, n.

In the East Indies, a stew of fowl, fish, or meat, eaten with boiled rice. – Malcom.

CUR'RY, v.t. [Fr. corroyer; Arm. courreza; Sp. curtir; Port. cortir. The French and Armoric word seems to be compounded of L. corium, a hide, and the root of rado, to scrape, or of a word of like signification. The Sp. and Port. word seems to be allied to cortex, bark, from stripping; or to L. curtus, short, from cutting. But the L. corium is probably from a root signifying to scrape, or to peel. See Class Gr, Nos. 5 and 8.]

1. To dress leather after it is tanned; to soak, pare or scrape, cleanse, beat and color tanned hides, and prepare them for use.
2. To rub and clean with a comb; as, to curry a horse.
3. To scratch or claw; to tear, in quarrels. By setting brother against brother, / To claw and curry one another. – Butler.
4. To rub or stroke; to make smooth; to tickle by flattery; to humor. But generally used in the phrase, To curry favor, to seek or gain favor by flattery, caresses, kindness, or officious civilities. [Not elegant.] – Hooker.

CUR'RY-COMB, n. [See Comb.]

An iron instrument or comb, for rubbing and cleaning horses.

CUR'RY-ING, n.

Rubbing down a horse.

CUR'RY-ING, ppr.

Scraping and dressing; cleaning; scratching.

CURSE, n.

1. Malediction; the expression of a wish of evil to another. Shimei … who cursed me with a grievous curse. – 1 Kings ii.
2. Imprecation of evil. They entered into a curse, and into an oath. – Neh. x.
3. Affliction; torment; great vexation. I will make this city a curse to all nations. – Jer. xxvi.
4. Condemnation; sentence of divine vengeance on sinners. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law. – Gal. iii.
5. Denunciation of evil. The priest shall write all these curses in a book. – Numb. v.

CURSE, v.i.

To utter imprecations; to affirm or deny with imprecations of divine vengeance. Then began he to curse and to swear. – Matth. xxvi.

CURSE, v.t. [pret. and pp. cursed or curse. Sax. cursian, corsian; Ann. argarzi. Qu. Ar. كَرَظَ karatha.]

1. To utter a wish of evil against one; to imprecate evil upon; to call for mischief or injury to fall upon; to execrate. Thou shalt not curse the ruler of thy people. – Ex. xxii. Bless, and curse not. – Rom. xii. Curse me this people, for they are too mighty for me. – Numb. xxii.
2. To injure; to subject to evil; to vex, harass or torment with great calamities. On impious realms and barbarous kings impose Thy plagues, and curse 'em with such sons as those. – Pope.
3. To devote to evil.

CURS'ED, pp.

1. Execrated; afflicted; vexed; tormented; blasted by a curse.
2. Devoted to destruction. Thou art cursed from the earth. – Gen. iv.
3. adj. Deserving a curse; execrable; hateful; detestable; abominable.
4. adj. Vexatious; as, a cursed quarrel; cursed thorns. – Dryden. Prior