Curse

//kɜːs// noun, verb, slang

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A supernatural detriment or hindrance; a bane.

    "If ye will not heare, and if yee will not lay it to heart, to giue glory vnto my name, saith the Lord of hostes; I will euen send a curse vpon you, and will curse your blessings: yea, I haue cursed them already, because yee doe not lay it to heart."

  2. 2
    profane or obscene expression usually of surprise or anger wordnet
  3. 3
    A prayer or imprecation that harm may befall someone.
  4. 4
    an evil spell wordnet
  5. 5
    The cause of great harm, evil, or misfortune; that which brings evil or severe affliction; torment.

    "The common curſe of mankinde, Folly and Ignorance[…]"

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  1. 6
    an appeal to some supernatural power to inflict evil on someone or some group wordnet
  2. 7
    A vulgar epithet.

    "Swearing doesn't just mean what we now understand by "dirty words". It is entwined, in social and linguistic history, with the other sort of swearing: vows and oaths. Consider for a moment the origins of almost any word we have for bad language – "profanity", "curses", "oaths" and "swearing" itself."

  3. 8
    a severe affliction wordnet
  4. 9
    A woman's menses. dated, derogatory, slang, usually, with-definite-article
  5. 10
    something causing misery or death wordnet
Verb
  1. 1
    To place a curse upon (a person or object). transitive

    "And Balaam said unto God, Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, hath sent unto me, saying, Behold, there is a people come out of Egypt, which covereth the face of the earth: come now, curse me them; peradventure I shall be able to overcome them, and drive them out. And God said unto Balaam, Thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people: for they are blessed."

  2. 2
    utter obscenities or profanities wordnet
  3. 3
    To call upon divine or supernatural power to send injury upon; to imprecate evil upon; to execrate.

    "Thou ſhalt not[…]curſe the ruler of thy people."

  4. 4
    wish harm upon; invoke evil upon wordnet
  5. 5
    To speak or shout a vulgar curse or epithet. transitive
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  1. 6
    heap obscenities upon wordnet
  2. 7
    To use offensive or morally inappropriate language. intransitive

    "Then beganne hee to curſe and to ſweare[…]"

  3. 8
    exclude from a church or a religious community wordnet
  4. 9
    To bring great evil upon; to be the cause of serious harm or unhappiness to; to furnish with that which will be a cause of deep trouble; to afflict or injure grievously; to harass or torment.

    "On Impious Realms, and barb’rous Kings, impoſe / Thy Plagues, and curſe 'em with ſuch Sons as thoſe."

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English curse, kors, cors, curs, from Old English cors, curs (“curse”), of unknown origin.

Etymology 2

From Middle English cursen, corsen, coursen, from Old English corsian, cursian (“to curse”), from the noun (see above).

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