curdle

verb

cur·​dle ˈkər-dᵊl 

curdled; curdling ˈkərd-liŋ 

ˈkər-dᵊl-iŋ

intransitive verb

1

: to form curds

also : to congeal as if by forming curds

a scream curdled in her throat

2

: to go bad or wrong : spoil

transitive verb

1

: to cause curds to form in

curdled milk

2

: spoil, sour

Examples of curdle in a Sentence

Too much heat will make the custard curdle.

Too much heat will curdle the custard.

Recent Examples on the Web

If the temperature is too hot, the crème fraîche could curdle, and nobody has time for that. —Josh Miller, Southern Living, 25 Dec. 2024

Gradually incorporate the rums at low speed to prevent curdling. —Stephanie Gravalese, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024

This kind of show needs a cast willing to dive headlong into the curdling eggnog (or, specifically here, a vat of premade Manhattans to null the pain) and Cullman has the right crew, with Mare Winningham and David Rasche playing the flailing parents. —Chris Jones, New York Daily News, 13 Dec. 2024

But that enthusiasm was soon overtaken by anxiety that curdled into crushing despair. —Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

metathetic variant of cruddle, crudle, frequentative of crud entry 2

First Known Use

1585, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Phrases Containing curdle

• make someone's blood curdle

Kids Definition

curdle

verb

cur·​dle ˈkərd-ᵊl 

curdled; curdling ˈkərd-liŋ 

-ᵊl-iŋ

1

: to form curds

2

: to cause curds to form in

high heat curdled the custard

3

—used in expressions such as make one's blood curdle to indicate a feeling of terror

a ghost story that will make your blood curdle