{ } a. [ L. curvatus p. p. of curvare to curve, fr. curvus. See Curve. ] Bent in a regular form; curved. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. curvatio. ] The act of bending or crooking. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Bot.) Having the margins only a little curved; -- said of leaves. Henslow. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. curvatura. See Curvate. ] 1. The act of curving, or the state of being bent or curved; a curving or bending, normal or abnormal, as of a line or surface from a rectilinear direction; a bend; a curve. Cowper. [ 1913 Webster ]

The elegant curvature of their fronds. Darwin. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Math.) The amount of degree of bending of a mathematical curve, or the tendency at any point to depart from a tangent drawn to the curve at that point. [ 1913 Webster ]

Aberrancy of curvature (Geom.), the deviation of a curve from a circular form. --
Absolute curvature. See under Absolute. --
Angle of curvature (Geom.), one that expresses the amount of curvature of a curve. --
Chord of curvature. See under Chord. --
Circle of curvature. See Osculating circle of a curve, under Circle. --
Curvature of the spine (Med.), an abnormal curving of the spine, especially in a lateral direction. --
Radius of curvature, the radius of the circle of curvature, or osculatory circle, at any point of a curve. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. incurvatus, p. p. of incurvare to crook; pref. in- in + curvus bent. See Curve, and cf. Incurve. ] Curved; bent; crooked. Derham. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Incurvated p. pr. & vb. n. Incurvating. ] To turn from a straight line or course; to bend; to crook. Cheyne. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. incurvatio: cf. F. incurvation. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. The act of bending, or curving. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The state of being bent or curved; curvature. [ 1913 Webster ]

An incurvation of the rays. Derham. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. The act of bowing, or bending the body, in respect or reverence. “The incurvations of the knee.” Bp. Hall. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To bend or curve back; to recurve. Pennant. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. recurvatus, p. p. of recurvare. See Re-, and Curvate. ] (Bot.) Recurved. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act of recurving, or the state of being recurved; a bending or flexure backward. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Pref. tri- + curvate. ] (Zool.) Curved in three directions; as, a tricurvate spicule (see Illust. of Spicule). [ 1913 Webster ]