kerb
UK/kɜːb/US/kɝb/
kerb is the alternative spelling of curb.
Verb
kerb (third-person singular simple present kerbs, present participle kerbing, simple past and past participle kerbed)
- To damage vehicle wheels or tyres by running into or over a pavement kerb.
- To take a dog to the kerb for the purpose of evacuating their bowels.
- I was fidgeting a bit, because three dogs were sniffing at my ankles in an interested fashion. They were going out to be kerbed[.]1946, George Johnston, Skyscrapers in the Mist, page 35
Meaning of curb
Noun
curb (plural curbs)
- A concrete margin along the edge of a road; a kerb (UK, Australia, New Zealand).
- A raised margin along the edge of something, such as a well or the eye of a dome, as a strengthening.
- Something that checks or restrains; a restraint.
- Even by theſe Men, Religion, that ſhould be / The curb, is made the ſpur to tyranny: / They with their double key of conſcience bind / The Subjects ſouls, and leave Kings unconfin'd; […]1641 (first performance), [John Denham], The Sophy. […], 2nd edition, London: […] J[ohn] M[acock] for H[enry] Herringman, […], published 1667, →OCLC, Act IV, pages [44A]–45
- A riding or driving bit for a horse that has rein action which amplifies the pressure in the mouth by leverage advantage placing pressure on the poll by means of the crown piece of the bridle and chin groove by means of a curb chain.
- He that before ran in the pastures wild / Felt the stiff curb controul his angry jaws.1605, Michael Drayton, The Fourth Eclogue
- Synonyms:
- curb bit
- A sidewalk, covered or partially enclosed, bordering the airport terminal road system with adjacent paved areas to permit vehicles to off-load or load passengers.
- A swelling on the back part of the hind leg of a horse, just behind the lowest part of the hock joint, generally causing lameness.
Forms of kerb
| Noun | |
|---|---|
| plural | kerbs |
| alternative US | curb |
| alternative form (obsolete) | kirb |
| Verb | |
| third-person singular present | kerbs |
| present participle | kerbing |
| past participle | kerbed |
| past | kerbed |
Origin of kerb
From curb (“raised border or frame”) [from mid-17th c.]. Doublet of curve.
Words formed from kerb
Phrases with kerb
Words that rhyme with kerb
Questions about kerb
- What does kerb mean?
- Kerb means to damage vehicle wheels or tyres by running into or over a pavement kerb.
- What is kerb the alternative spelling of?
- Kerb is the alternative spelling of curb.
- What part of speech is kerb?
- Kerb is a verb.
- How do you pronounce kerb?
- Kerb is pronounced /kɝb/ (US).
- What is the past tense of kerb?
- The past tense of kerb is kerbed.
Words near kerb in the dictionary
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: kerb (page history and authors); curb (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
Last updated:
Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: en-au-kerb.ogg.
Cite this entry: “kerb.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/kerb. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.