cur

Etymology

From Middle English curre (“watchdog, small hunting dog, mongrel, mutt”), perhaps of Middle Low German or North Germanic origin. Compare Middle Dutch corre (“domestic dog, yard dog, watch-dog”), dialectal Dutch korre (“dog, yard dog”), dialectal Swedish kurre (“a dog”). Compare also Old Norse kurra (“to growl; grumble”), Middle Low German kurren, korren (“to growl”). Compare also Middle Dutch querie (“female dog, bitch”).

Also Irish and Scottish Gaelic

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation, General Australian) IPA^(key): /kɜː/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

• (General American) IPA^(key): /kɝ/
• (Scotland) IPA^(key): /kʌr/
• (New Zealand) IPA^(key): /køː/
• (Liverpool, fair–fur merger) IPA^(key): /keː/
• (Humberside, Teesside, fair–fur merger) IPA^(key): /kɛː/
• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)
• Homophones: Kerr (fern–fir–fur merger), care (fair–fur merger)

Noun

cur (plural curs)

1. (dated or humorous) A contemptible or inferior dog.
   • c. 1515–1516, published 1568, John Skelton, Againſt venemous tongues enpoyſoned with ſclaunder and falſe detractions &c.:

     A fals double tunge is more fiers and fell
     Then Cerberus the cur couching in the kenel of hel;
     Wherof hereafter, I thinke for to write,
     Of fals double tunges in the diſpite.

   • 1613 (date written), William Shakespeare, [John Fletcher], “The Famous History of the Life of King Henry the Eight”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene iv]:

     you have many enemies, that know not why they are so, but, like to village-curs, bark when their fellows do.

   • 1897, Joseph Conrad, “II”, in An Outpost of Progress:

     He threw the soapsuds skilfully over a wretched little yellow cur he had, then turning his face to the agent's house, he shouted from the distance, "All the men gone last night!"

   • 1919, W[illiam] Somerset Maugham, “chapter 25”, in The Moon and Sixpence, [New York, N.Y.]: Grosset & Dunlap Publishers […], →OCLC:

     "You have no more spirit than a mongrel cur. You lie down on the ground and ask people to trample on you."

2. (dated or humorous) A detestable person.
   • 1613 (date written), William Shakespeare, [John Fletcher], “The Famous History of the Life of King Henry the Eight”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i]:

     This butcher's cur is venom-mouth'd, and I have not the power to muzzle him.

   • 1900, Joseph Conrad, Lord Jim, page vi. 54:

     "Who 's a cur - now - hey?"

3. (archaic, dialect) A sheepdog or watchdog.
   • 1710, Ambrose Phillips, Pastorals, The Fourth Pastoral , line 119:

     Then send our Curs to gather up the Sheep

   • 1884, Robert Holland, A Glossary of Words used in the County of Chester, page 90:

     "He's a good sharp cur," or "a good cur," is said of any dog that barks at strangers and guards his master's property.

Anagrams

• CRU, Cru, RUC, cru, ruc

Etymology 1

From Latin culus. Compare Romanian cur.

Etymology 2

From Latin currō. Compare Romanian cure, cur (modern curge, curg).

Etymology 3

From Latin cūrō. Compare archaic/regional Romanian cura, cur.

Etymology 1

From Latin cārus.

Etymology 2

From Vulgar Latin *corem m, from Latin cor n.

Etymology

Borrowed from Russian чур (čur).

Pronunciation

• (Ala-Laukaa) IPA^(key): /ˈt͡ʃur/, [ˈt͡ʃur]
• (Soikkola) IPA^(key): /ˈt͡ʃur/, [ˈt͡ʃur]
• Rhymes: -ur
• Hyphenation: cur

Interjection

cur

1. bags! dibs!

References

• Ruben E. Nirvi (1971) Inkeroismurteiden Sanakirja, Helsinki: Suomalais-Ugrilainen Seura, page 603

Alternative forms

• cuir

Pronunciation

• (Munster, Connacht) IPA^(key): /kʊɾˠ/
• (Ulster) IPA^(key): /kʌɾˠ/

Noun

cur m (genitive singular as substantive cuir, genitive as verbal noun curtha)

1. verbal noun of cuir
2. sowing, planting; tillage
3. burial
4. setting, laying
5. course; round
6. set (of implements)

Mutation

Further reading

• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “cur”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• de Bhaldraithe, Tomás (1959) “cur”, in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm
• “cur”, in New English-Irish Dictionary, Foras na Gaeilge, 2013-2025