curve
42
6.7
- noun
- /kɜrv/
- Jargon
:
curva
- That was a 12-6 curve, which even right-handed pitchers rarely throw.
Examples
-
The pitcher surprised everybody with his nasty curve that struck out the batter.
-
This guy's gotta a big curve ball.
-
He even used that curve ball we worked on.
-
Like I told you last night, kid can't hit a curve ball.
-
Curve ball, and that's gonna be hit to center field.
-
Curve balls are tricky throws for the batter to hit.
-
During the game, the coach emphasized the importance of mastering the curve to outsmart opponents.
-
As the ball approached, the batter realized he had never seen such a tricky curve before.
Synonyms
15
5.3
A baseball throw that curves as it reaches the batter
5
6.2
A pitch that curves as it moves toward the batter because the pitcher throws it with spin
4
9.1
A thrown baseball that curves as it reaches the batter
3
5.0
A baseball throw with spin that curves as it reaches the batter
Antonyms
Idioms
- Informal
1
8.4
To surprise or confuse someone by doing something they did not expect
Compounds
- Specialized
7
4.6
A curved line on a graph showing most results near the average and fewer at the ends
- Specialized
1
9.9
A graph showing how tax rates change the money the government gets, rising then falling when taxes get too high
- Specialized
1
4.2
A curve shaped like a bell that shows most values near the average
- Specialized
1
7.2
A graph that shows how one device property changes as another thing changes, like voltage or temperature
- Specialized
1
4.0
A graph showing how a computer model gets better with more training data
- Specialized
A curve with no endpoints that comes back to its starting point, like a circle
- Specialized
A graph showing the cotangent function, repeating every pi and with vertical lines it never reaches
- Specialized
A graph that shows how loud a speaker or amplifier is at different frequencies
- Specialized
A bell-shaped curve the same on both sides that shows how values are near the average
- Specialized
A line on a graph showing combinations of goods a buyer likes the same
- Specialized
A closed loop on a flat surface, like a circle, that does not cross itself
- Specialized
A bell-shaped line that shows most numbers near the middle and fewer far from it
- Specialized
A smooth line or curve fitted to data points to show how two things are related
- Specialized
A curve formed by points where perpendiculars from a fixed point meet a curve's tangents
- Specialized
A curved line on a flat surface that makes a closed loop without crossing itself, like a circle
How Curved
- Specialized
9
7.4
- Jargon
42
6.7
Surface Forms
Etymology
Curve comes from an old Latin root curvus meaning 'bent', and a helpful image is a ball whose path 'bends' as it moves. So a baseball curve is a pitch that turns in the air, making the ball follow a bent path toward the batter.