curfew

Estimated CEFR level: C2 — Proficiency

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

noun the time that the curfew signal is sounded
noun a signal (usually a bell) announcing the start of curfew restrictions
noun an order that after a specific time certain activities (as being outside on the streets) are prohibited

From Middle English curfu, from Old French cuevre-fu (French couvre-feu), from the imperative of covrir (“to cover”) + fu (“fire”). Compare kerchief.

"Hark! there is the curfew," exclaimed the Earl. — Forest Days: A Romance of Old Times, G. P. R. (George Payne Rainsford) James
Until the curfew shall ring, full half an hour must pass." — Erotica Romana, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Natives must not be out after the curfew bell without a pass. — Following the Equator: A Journey Around the World, Mark Twain

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