Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

curdle

/ˈkɝ.dəl/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: 2.02 in modern English

Syllables: cur-dle
IPA: /ˈkɝ.dəl/

9

Scrabble Score

6

Letters

2

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To form curds so that it no longer flows smoothly; to cause to form such curds. (usually said of milk)

verb

To clot or coagulate; to cause to congeal, such as through cold. (metaphorically of blood)

verb

To cause a liquid to spoil and form clumps so that it no longer flows smoothly.

Transitive verb

Example Sentences

"Too much lemon will curdle the milk in your tea."
""Vich Ian Vohr," it said, in a voice that made my very blood curdle, "beware of to-morrow!""
"Trust in the science did not curdle at the same instance as trust in the tech conglomerates, but they are not so dissimilar when weighed against the hype of progress."
"It is enough,' said the agitated Mr. Slurk, pacing to and fro, 'to curdle the ink in one's pen, and induce one to abandon their cause for ever.'"

Etymology

Metathesis of earlier dialectal cruddle, crudle, equivalent to curd + -le (frequentative suffix).

Word Breakdown

Suffix: curd

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈkɝ.dəl/
British English: /ˈkɜː.dəl/

Usage

Transitive verb

Inflected Forms

curdles (present, singular) curdling (participle, present) curdled (participle, past) curdled (past)

Derived Forms

curdled curdler decurdling uncurdle

Phrases

blood-curdling

Synonyms

curd clabber clot

Rhymes With

hurdle girdle wordle nurdle furdle

Questions

How do you pronounce curdle?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈkɝ.dəl/.
What does curdle mean?: To form curds so that it no longer flows smoothly; to cause to form such curds. (usually said of milk)
Where does curdle come from?: Metathesis of earlier dialectal cruddle, crudle, equivalent to curd + -le (frequentative suffix).

How to pronounce curdle

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “curdle”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈkɝ.dəl/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
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