{
    "term": "curve",
    "partOfSpeech": "noun",
    "ox3000": true,
    "cefr": "b2",
    "definitions": [
        {
            "senseNumber": 1,
            "definition": "a line or surface that bends gradually; a smooth bend",
            "sensetop": "curve of something",
            "cefr": "b2",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "The pattern was made up of straight lines and curves."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He admired the delicate curve of her ear.",
                    "contextForm": "curve of something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "The seats were arranged to form a curve."
                },
                {
                    "text": "the curve of his neck"
                },
                {
                    "text": "the natural curve of your spine"
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Colours and Shapes"],
            "collocations": {
                "adjective": ["steep", "bell", "normal"],
                "verb + curve": ["plot"],
                "curve + verb": ["flatten out", "indicate something", "show something"],
                "phrases": ["grade on a curve"]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 2,
            "definition": "a place where a road bends or turns",
            "sensetop": "curve in somethingon a curve",
            "labels": "(North American English)",
            "cefr": "b2",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "a curve in the road",
                    "contextForm": "curve in something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "The driver lost control on a curve and the vehicle hit a tree.",
                    "contextForm": "on a curve"
                },
                {
                    "text": "He slowed down to negotiate the curve."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Slow down at the curves."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The car vanished around a curve."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The road follows the coast in a wide curve."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The road went around in a tight curve."
                }
            ],
            "synonyms": "bend",
            "topics": ["Transport by car or lorry"]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 3,
            "definition": "a line on a graph that shows how one quantity varies compared with another",
            "labels": "(specialist)",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "The program automatically plots the curve on a graph."
                },
                {
                    "text": "This figure shows the population curve for the last hundred years."
                },
                {
                    "text": "a demand/yield/growth/supply curve"
                },
                {
                    "text": "the unemployment-income curve *(= showing the relationship between the number of unemployed people and national income)*"
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Maths and measurement"]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 4,
            "definition": "a ball that moves in a curve when it is thrown to the batter",
            "cefr": "c2",
            "examples": [],
            "topics": ["Sports: ball and racket sports"]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 5,
            "definition": "something that is unexpected and difficult to deal with",
            "labels": "(North American English, informal)",
            "examples": []
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 6,
            "definition": "curving shapes that form part of a woman's body",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "The supermodel showed off her famous curves in a figure-hugging red dress."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The evening dress hugged her curves beautifully."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "in advance of or behind a particular trend",
            "labels": "(business)",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "Our expert advice will help you stay ahead of the curve."
                },
                {
                    "text": "We've fallen behind the curve when it comes to developing new digital products."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "to manage the rate or quantity of something so that it does not increase too much within a short period of time",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "These measures are intended to flatten the curve of new infections in order to reduce the load on hospitals."
                }
            ]
        }
    ],
    "pronunciations": {
        "uk": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/kɜːv/",
                "audio": "cu/curve/curve__gb_2.mp3"
            }
        ],
        "us": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/kɜːrv/",
                "audio": "cu/curve/curve__us_1.mp3"
            }
        ]
    },
    "wordOrigin": "late Middle English: from Latin curvare ‘to bend’, from curvus ‘bent’. The noun dates from the late 17th cent."
}