Curfew Means Cover the Fire
A curfew is an order to be indoors by a set time. The word comes from a medieval signal to bank the household fire.
A curfew is a rule requiring people to be indoors by a certain hour. The name records a fire-safety measure: Old French *couvre-feu* means cover the fire, and a bell rang each evening telling households to bank or extinguish their hearths. In towns of timber and thatch, an unattended fire could destroy a street.
- A rule to be indoors. *A ten o'clock curfew.*
- The signal or hour. *The curfew rang.*
- A parental rule. *He missed his curfew.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | curfew | A nightly curfew. |
| Plural | curfews | Wartime curfews. |
| Related | cover | Cover the fire. |
| Related | fire | A banked fire. |
| Related | lockdown | A citywide lockdown. |
How it is used in a sentence
- A curfew was imposed at dusk.Public order.
- She was home before curfew.Family rule.
- Curfew comes from *couvre-feu*.Cover the fire.
French phrases hidden in English words
- curfew — *couvre-feu*, cover the fire
- mortgage — *mort gage*, dead pledge
- vinegar — *vin aigre*, sour wine
- parole — *parole*, word, from a prisoner's word of honour
- cul-de-sac — bottom of the bag
From Anglo-French *coeverfu*, from Old French *couvre-feu*, cover fire. The evening bell was widespread in medieval England.
Why cover the fire?
Because unattended hearths in timber towns caused fires that could destroy whole streets. The evening bell was a safety measure.
Is a curfew always official?
No. The word is used for household rules as well as legal orders.