Recurve

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ɹɪˈkɜː(ɹ)v/

Definitions

1. To create a shape that curves outward and then inward, often describing the form of an object that returns to a prior point in a bent manner
2. To design something with a backward arch that transitions from an outward curve to return to a concave position
3. To bend or shape something so that it curves back on itself in a smooth arc

Etymology: "Recurve" is a plain Latin compound: the prefix "re-", meaning back, joined to "curvo", to bend, which comes from "curvus", curved. The Latin verb "recurvo" meant to bend back, and English took it over essentially unchanged, so the word describes exactly what its parts say: a bending that turns back on itself. The most useful way to picture it is the archery term. A recurve bow has tips that curve away from the archer, so that when the string is unstrung the limbs bend backward. The verb "recurve" is the action of shaping a piece of material in this way, and the same idea applies to anything from a leaf to a blade.

Synonyms: curve back, bend back

Antonyms: straighten