What does curlycue mean?
A curlycue is a small decorative curl or spiral — the kind of looping flourish produced when a pen skims across paper at the end of a signature, or the twirl seen in a lock of hair or a wisp of smoke. The word is informal and playful in register, evoking ornamentation rather than structure: curlycues adorn invitations, signage, and hand-lettered designs, and they suggest charm, whimsy, and a touch of extravagance. In everyday use it functions almost interchangeably with its far more common variant spelling, curlicue, though readers will meet 'curlicue' more often in edited prose. The word belongs to the family of terms built on 'curl', tracing back through Middle Dutch krul, and it captures something distinctly visual — anyone who has doodled spirals in a notebook margin already knows exactly what a curlycue looks like.
nounA decorative curl or twist in a line, often forming a small spiral; a flourished loop used in writing, drawing, or design.
- A small ornamental curl or spiral, especially one made by a pen stroke or drawn as decoration.
- Anything resembling such a twisting shape, such as a wisp of smoke or a lock of hair.
"She signed the card with an extravagant curlycue beneath her name."
"The calligrapher finished each letter with a tiny curlycue."
"A curlycue of steam rose from the coffee cup."
Standard regular plural; commonly used when describing multiple flourishes in handwriting or design.
"The old ledger's margins were filled with curlycues."
It's essentially 'curly' fused with 'cue' — a whimsical coinage for one of the most ornamental little shapes in English.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of curlycue
The word derives from 'curl', which comes from Middle Dutch krul meaning 'a curl or ringlet'. It appears to be a playful compound fusing 'curly' with 'cue', emerging as an Americanism in the 19th century alongside its now-dominant variant form 'curlicue'. Its cognates include the Dutch-originated 'curl' itself and culinary relatives like 'cruller'. Exact first-attestation details vary across sources, so the precise date of origin remains uncertain.
How curlycue is actually used
Informal and somewhat playful in tone. The spelling 'curlicue' is considerably more common in print; 'curlycue' appears more often in speech and regional usage.
Easily confused with curlycue
Curlicue is the far more common spelling of the same word; 'curlycue' is a less frequent variant.
A curl is simply any curved shape or lock of hair, while a curlycue specifically suggests an ornamental, looping flourish.