Skip to the word

Added 9 October 2026

curtsey

/ˈkɝtsɪ/ noun

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about curtsey at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Bending the knees; a gesture of respect made by women.

verb

Bend the knees in a gesture of respectful greeting.

Origin

Variant of courtesy (1525) (from court + -esy), from Middle English curteisie, curtesie, from Anglo-Norman curtesie, from Old French curteisie, cortoisie.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

Back to today's word