noun
curfew
KUR-fyoo
noun
1
An official rule requiring people to be indoors by a set time.
"The city imposed a curfew after the riots broke out."
"My parents gave me an 11pm curfew when I was a teenager."
How to Use Curfew
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA rule setting the time by which people must be off the streets or back home.
Common pairings
impose a curfew
break curfew
nighttime curfew
Word Forms
curfews plural
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The city imposed a _____ after the riots broke out.
Etymology
From Old French cuevre-fu, literally "cover fire" — originally an evening signal for households to bank their hearth fires for the night.