Category:Curse

Curse (krs), v. t. [imp. & p.p. Cursed (krst) or Curst; p. pr. & vb. n. Cursing.] Etym: [AS. cursian, corsian, perh. of Scand. origin; cf. Dan. korse to make the sign of the cross, Sw. korsa, fr. Dan. & Sw. kors cross, Icel kross, all these Scand. words coming fr. OF. crois, croiz, fr. L. crux cross. Cf. Cross.]

1. To call upon divine or supernatural power to send injury upon; to imprecate evil upon; to execrate. Thou shalt not. . . curse the ruler of thy people. Exodus 22:28. Ere sunset I'll make thee curse the deed. Shak.

2. To bring great evil upon; to be the cause of serious harm or unhappiness to; to furnish with that which will be a cause of deep trouble; to afflict or injure grievously; to harass or torment. On impious realms and barbarous kings impose Thy plagues, and curse 'em with such sons as those. Pope. To curse by bell, book, and candle. See under Bell.

curse Curse, v. i.

Defn: To utter imprecations or curses; to affirm or deny with imprecations; to swear. Then began he to curse and to swear. Matthew 21:74. His spirits hear me, And yet I need must curse. Shak.

curse Curse, n. Etym: [AS. curs. See Curse, v. t.]

1. An invocation of, or prayer for, harm or injury; malediction. Lady, you know no rules of charity, Which renders good for bad, blessings for curses. Shak.

2. Evil pronounced or invoked upon another, solemnly, or in passion; subjection to, or sentence of, divine condemnation. The priest shall write these curses in a book. Numbers 5:23. Curses, like chickens, come home to roost. Old Proverb.

3. The cause of great harm, evil, or misfortune; that which brings evil or severe affliction; torment. The common curse of mankind, folly and ignorance. Shak. All that I eat, or drink, or shall beget, Is propagated curse. Milton. The curse of Scotland (Card Playing), the nine of diamonds. -- Not worth a curse. See under Cress.

Syn. -- Malediction; imprecation; execration. See Malediction.

---excerpt from the Illustrated Bible Dictionary.

Curse - Denounced by God against the serpent (Genesis 3:14), and against Cain (Genesis 4:11). These divine maledictions carried their effect with them. Prophetical curses were sometimes pronounced by holy men (Genesis 9:25; Genesis 49:7; Deuteronomy 27:15; Joshua 6:26). Such curses are not the consequence of passion or revenge, they are predictions. No one on pain of death shall curse father or mother (Exodus 21:17), nor the prince of his people (Exodus 22:28), nor the deaf (Leviticus 19:14). Cursing God or blaspheming was punishable by death (Leviticus 24:10). The words "curse God and die" (R.V., "renounce God and die"), used by Job's wife (Job 2:9), have been variously interpreted. Perhaps they simply mean that as nothing but death was expected, God would by this cursing at once interpose and destroy Job, and so put an end to his sufferings.