1. Of hair: Disposed in curls or ringlets.
1772–84. Cook, Voy., IV. III. vi. (R.). Growing to a tolerable length, and very crisp and curly.
1818. Todd, Curly, inclining to curl; falling into ringlets.
1884. F. M. Crawford, Rom. Singer, I. 47. Running his fingers through his curly hair.
2. Having or adorned with curls; having curled hair.
1827. G. Higgins, Celtic Druids, 65. Budda with his flat black face and curly head.
1859. Disraeli, in Hansard, Ser. III. CLIV. 127. When we are juvenile and curly.
3. Of a curled form; wavy, undulating; of plants, having curled leaves.
1795. Southey, Joan of Arc, VIII. 304. So rolls the swelling sea Its curly billows.
1814. Byron, Corsair, III. xviii. The boats are darting o’er the curly bay.
a. 1845. Hood, Fairy Tale, vii. Cabbages and curly kale.
4. Of potatoes: Affected with CURL (sb. 4).
1791. Trans. Soc. Encourag. Arts, IX. 63. A curly crop of Potatoes.
5. Comb., as curly-coated, -haired, -headed, -pated, etc., adjs.; curly-pate, a curly-headed person.
1795. Fate of Sedley, I. 59. A curly-poled nymph from Otaheite.
1827. G. Higgins, Celtic Druids, 162. The flat-faced, curly-headed Budda.
1848. Dickens, Dombey, iv. A … merry boy … fair-faced, bright-eyed, and curly-haired.
1862. Fraser’s Mag., 4. Yellow curly-pated children.
1868. Browning, Ring & Bk., VIII. 3. Seven and one’s eight, old curly-pate!
1885. Bazaar, 30 March, 1260/2. Jet black curly-coated retriever dog.
