▪ I. † recurve, a. Obs. rare.
[ad. L. recurv-us, f. re- re- + curvus curve a.]
Recurved.
| 1702 Drake in Phil. Trans. XXIII. 1225 In which it very much resembles Water inclos'd in a recurve Tube. |
▪ II. recurve, v.
(rɪˈkɜːv)
[ad. L. recurvāre to bend (a thing) backwards, f. re- re- + curvāre to curve.]
1. trans. To bend (a thing) back or backwards. a. In active use. rare. Also refl.
| 1623 Cockeram, Recurue, to bow backe againe. 1650 Bulwer Anthropomet. 118 Unlesse the Larynx at the instant of deglutition should recurve itself upward. 1839–47 Todd Cycl. Anat. III. 202/1 Most of the glow-worms..recurve their tails upon their backs. 1890 Nature 20 Feb. 367/2 They have muscles by which they may be recurved, so that these points may be directed towards the throat. |
b. In pa. pple. Bent backwards.
| 1597 A. M. tr. Guillemeau's Fr. Chirurg. 32 b/1 The muscles may lye in ther right places, and not be recurved this way or that waye. 1607 Topsell Four-f. Beasts (1658) 256 From the bottom to the middle they grow straight, but from thence they are a little recurved. 1748 Phil. Trans. XLV. 164 On the Crown of the Head stands a shining black Horn, recurved backward. 1835 Kirby Hab. & Inst. Anim. I. ii. 66 Others, as the Friesland-hen, have the feathers on their body recurved. 1870 Hooker Stud. Flora 241 Stigmas..persistent, recurved. |
2. intr. (Chiefly of a wind or current): To turn back in a curve upon its previous direction.
| c 1850 Rudim. Navig. (Weale) 87 In recurving.., whirl⁓wind storms will have a polar direction. 1853 W. R. Birt Handbk. Storms (1879) 80 The direction of the cyclone of April 1847 would lead to the idea of its having recurved. 1875 Bedford Sailor's Pocket-bk. iv. (ed. 2) 111 A large part recurves to the Eastward, thus flowing into the Indian Ocean. |
Hence reˈcurving vbl. n. and ppl. a.
| 1853 W. R. Birt Handbk. Storms (1879) 84 The great liability of a commander meeting a recurving cyclone. 1875 Bedford Sailor's Pocket-bk. iv. (ed. 2) 111 The remarkable recurving of the main body of the current is due to the action of a polar or cold water current flowing from the S.W. 1882 Garden 18 Mar. 189/3 A beautiful Orchid..furnished with narrow recurving foliage. |
▪ III. ˈrecurve, n. Archery.
[f. the vb.]
A backward-curving end of the limb of a bow; a bow designed with this feature. Also attrib.
| 1961 E. Burke Archery i. 10 (caption) Named parts of the bow..recurve..upper limb..bowsight..lower limb..nock. 1962 G. H. Gillelan Young Sportsman's Guide to Archery ii. 19 The other important bow design is the recurve, so named because its tips have a reverse curl. 1979 Country Life 26 July 287/1 The ‘Bowhunter’ style involves any type of bow, usually of a recurve construction, that is a combination of glass-fibre and wood..to buy a new bow works out as follows: long bow, {pstlg}20–{pstlg}50; recurve, {pstlg}150–{pstlg}180. 1980 Hunting Ann. 1981 81/3 For targets of opportunity, a recurve or long bow can be handled faster. |