What does curb mean?
Curb serves two related roles in modern English. As a noun, it refers to the raised stone or concrete border running alongside a street, marking the boundary between road and pavement — the edge you step off before crossing. As a verb, it means to restrain, limit, or bring under control, whether that's curbing your appetite, curbing government spending, or curbing the spread of disease. Both senses share an idea of restraint or containment: the physical curb holds back vehicles from the walkway just as the figurative one holds back excess behaviour. The word is common in everyday speech and formal writing alike, appearing frequently in headlines about inflation, pollution, and public policy. British English preserves an older spelling distinction, using kerb for the street edge while keeping curb for the verb. Its blend of concrete imagery and abstract application makes it a versatile, durable part of the language.
A raised stone or concrete edging along a street or path, forming the boundary between the roadway and the sidewalk.
"He stepped off the curb and crossed the busy intersection."
Spelled kerb in British English.
To restrain, limit, or bring under control.
"New regulations were introduced to curb air pollution in the city centre."
Standard plural; applies to the noun sense of street edgings.
"The council replaced all the cracked curbs along Main Street."
The phrase 'curb appeal' — real-estate shorthand for how attractive your house looks from the street — literally comes from what you see standing at the curb.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of curb
Curb derives from the Old French courbe, meaning 'a curve' or 'curved structure', which itself traces back to Latin curvus, 'bent or curved'. The word entered English in the late Middle Ages, originally referring to anything bent or curved — including the curved straps used on horses — before narrowing to its familiar sense of the raised street edge by the 18th century. It shares this Latin origin with words like curve and curvature. The verb sense of restraining developed later, extending the idea of something that checks or holds back.
Related word forms
How curb is actually used
Both verb and noun are standard and common across registers. In British English, the noun meaning the street edge is spelled 'kerb', while the verb remains 'curb'; American English uses 'curb' throughout. The verb often appears in formal contexts such as policy, economics, and health advice.
Easily confused with curb
Kerb is simply the British spelling of curb when referring to the street edging; American English uses only 'curb' for both senses.