curlicue means A fancy twisting or curling shape usually made from a series of spirals and loops. It carries an Arena rating of 1500, earned across 2 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, curlicue ranks #2,374 of 14,451 for Most Whimsical Words, #2,517 of 14,440 for Most Satisfying to Say, #2,574 of 14,448 for Funniest Words, #2,580 of 14,456 for The Improbable.
Why “curlicue” is a great word
A decorative, fancifully curved or spiral flourish, especially in handwriting or ornamentation. From curly (meaning having curls or curves) and cue (in the obsolete sense of 'pigtail' or 'twist'), first recorded in the 1840s. Unlike a "spiral," which is a mere geometric fact of winding, or a "flourish," which is any broad embellishment, a curlicue is whimsy made manifest: the superfluous tail on a carefully penned lowercase *g*, the gilded filigree on a Victorian picture frame, and the wrought-iron tendril that climbs a garden gate. It is ornament for ornament's sake, a small, deliberate rebellion against the tyranny of the straight line.
Etymology
From curly + cue.
noun
- A fancy twisting or curling shape usually made from a series of spirals and loops.“I put in plenty of curlicues after the figures so that no one could raise the check into $400,000; then I got out my old rattan suit case and put in some clothes.”
verb
- To make or adorn (something) with curlicues, or as if with curlicues.“A chandelier the shape of an anchor, hanging over Smith's head as he passed out through this vestibule. Walls curlicued with comb marks of some fancy plasterer.”
Words closest in meaning
By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.
- spiral 82% match — A curve that is the locus of a point that rotates about a fixed point while continuously increasing its distance from that point. vs curlicue →
- wreathe 82% match — Senses relating to intertwining or twisting.; To coil, curl, or twist (something); to shape (something) into circles or coils. vs curlicue →
- guilloche 81% match — A fine engraved pattern of spirals, intertwining bands, etc. vs curlicue →
- filigree 81% match — A delicate and intricate ornamentation made from platinum, gold or silver (or sometimes other metal) twisted wire. vs curlicue →
- triskeles 81% match — A symbol consisting of three spirals, or three bent human legs. vs curlicue →
- sinuous 80% match — Having curves in alternate directions; meandering. vs curlicue →
- vermiculate 80% match — To decorate with lines resembling the tracks of worms. vs curlicue →
- wreath 80% match — Something twisted, intertwined, or curled. vs curlicue →