curly

From curl +‎ -y.

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈkɝli/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈkɜːli/

  • Audio (Southern England)

    (file)

• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)li

curly (comparative curlier, superlative curliest)

1. Having curls.
2. (typography) Curling in a direction, as opposed to straight (quotation marks or apostrophes)
3. (Australia) Complicated and difficult; knotty.
   • 2005, Chris Cooper, Behind the Private Eye: The Private Investigator's Secrets, →ISBN, page 176:

     Often, the job will throw you a curly problem that will cause the unprepared to fail, so it is best to prepare an investigative plan before starting work.

curly (plural curlies)

1. a person or animal with curly hair.

• short and curlies