verb · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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Received-Pronunciation:/ˈkɜː.dəl/
General-American:/ˈkɝ.dəl/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -ɜː(ɹ)dəl
1
verb
Meaning 1
To form curds so that it no longer flows smoothly; to cause to form such curds. (usually said of milk)
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: ambitransitive
Examples
Too much lemon will curdle the milk in your tea.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: curd
Antonyms: none provided
2
verb
Meaning 2
To clot or coagulate; to cause to congeal, such as through cold. (metaphorically of blood)
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: ambitransitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
verb
Meaning 3
To cause a liquid to spoil and form clumps so that it no longer flows smoothly.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
verb
Meaning 4
turn from a liquid to a solid mass
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
his blood curdled
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: clot, coagulate
5
verb
Meaning 5
go bad or sour
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
The milk curdled
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: spoil, go bad
6
verb
Meaning 6
turn into curds
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
curdled milk
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: clabber, clot
Antonyms: homogenise, homogenize
Broader terms: change state, turn
History
Etymology
Metathesis of earlier dialectal cruddle, crudle, equivalent to curd + -le (frequentative suffix).
Across languages
Translations
109 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Albanian:
mpiks
— to form or cause to form curds
Albanian:
mpiksem
— to form or cause to form curds
Arabic:
تَخَثَّرَ
(taḵaṯṯara)
— to form or cause to form curds
Aromanian:
ncljeg
— to form or cause to form curds
Bulgarian:
пресичам се
(presičam se)
— to form or cause to form curds
Bulgarian:
съсирвам се
(sǎsirvam se)
— to form or cause to form curds
Catalan:
quallar
— to form or cause to form curds
Czech:
srazit
— to form or cause to form curds
Czech:
srazit se
— to form or cause to form curds
Czech:
srážet
— to form or cause to form curds
Czech:
srážet se
— to form or cause to form curds
Dutch:
stremmen
— to form or cause to form curds
Finnish:
juoksettaa
— to form or cause to form curds
Finnish:
juoksettua
— to form or cause to form curds
French:
cailler
— to form or cause to form curds
Friulian:
caglâ
— to form or cause to form curds
Galician:
callar
— to form or cause to form curds
Italian:
cagliare
— to form or cause to form curds
Macedonian:
засирува
(zasiruva)
— to form or cause to form curds
Macedonian:
згрутчува
(zgrutčuva)
— to form or cause to form curds
Manx:
binjee
— to form or cause to form curds
Manx:
binjeanee
— to form or cause to form curds
Manx:
groo
— to form or cause to form curds
Māori:
tepe
— to form or cause to form curds
Māori:
tetepe
— to form or cause to form curds
Māori:
kurukuruwhatu
— to form or cause to form curds
Māori:
pupuru
— to form or cause to form curds
Norman:
cailli
— to form or cause to form curds
Old Church Slavonic:
осꙑрѣти
(osyrěti)
— to form or cause to form curds
Persian:
دلمه شدن
(dalame šodan)
— to form or cause to form curds
Persian:
دلمه کردن
(dalame kardan)
— to form or cause to form curds
Persian:
کلچیدن
(kalčidan)
— to form or cause to form curds
Persian:
کلچانیدن
(kalčânidan)
— to form or cause to form curds
Polish:
ścinać się
— to form or cause to form curds
Polish:
zsiadać się
— to form or cause to form curds
Portuguese:
coalhar
— to form or cause to form curds
Romanian:
închega
— to form or cause to form curds
Russian:
створа́живаться
(stvoráživatʹsja)
— to form or cause to form curds
Russian:
створо́житься
(stvoróžitʹsja)
— to form or cause to form curds
Russian:
створа́живать
(stvoráživatʹ)
— to form or cause to form curds
Russian:
створо́жить
(stvoróžitʹ)
— to form or cause to form curds
Campidanese Sardinian:
callai
— to form or cause to form curds
Sardinian:
cragare
— to form or cause to form curds
Scots:
yirn
— to form or cause to form curds
Serbo-Croatian:
засирити
— to form or cause to form curds
Serbo-Croatian:
згруша́вати
— to form or cause to form curds
Serbo-Croatian:
zasiriti
— to form or cause to form curds
Serbo-Croatian:
zgrušávati
— to form or cause to form curds
Sicilian:
cagghiari
— to form or cause to form curds
Sicilian:
quagghiari
— to form or cause to form curds
Spanish:
cuajar
— to form or cause to form curds
Swedish:
skära
— to form or cause to form curds
Tamil:
துவை
(tuvai)
— to form or cause to form curds
Tamil:
தோய்
(tōy)
— to form or cause to form curds
Tamil:
பிரைகுத்து
(piraikuttu)
— to form or cause to form curds
Tamil:
பிரைக்கு வை
(piraikku vai)
— to form or cause to form curds
Telugu:
తోడుకొను
(tōḍukonu)
— to form or cause to form curds
Telugu:
విరుగు
(virugu)
— to form or cause to form curds
Ukrainian:
ґляґа́ти
(gljagáty)
— to form or cause to form curds
Ukrainian:
ву́рдити
(vúrdyty)
— to form or cause to form curds
Ukrainian:
зву́рджувати
(zvúrdžuvaty)
— to form or cause to form curds
Ukrainian:
зву́рдити
(zvúrdyty)
— to form or cause to form curds
Ukrainian:
зґля́ґатися
(zgljágatysja)
— to form or cause to form curds
Ukrainian:
зґляґа́тися
(zgljagátysja)
— to form or cause to form curds
Ukrainian:
зву́рджуватися
(zvúrdžuvatysja)
— to form or cause to form curds
Ukrainian:
зву́рдитися
(zvúrdytysja)
— to form or cause to form curds
Venetan:
cagiar
— to form or cause to form curds
Venetan:
inconajar
— to form or cause to form curds
Welsh:
ceulo
— to form or cause to form curds
Aromanian:
ncljeg
— to coagulate
Bulgarian:
коагулирам
(koaguliram)
— to coagulate
Dutch:
klonteren
— to coagulate
Finnish:
hyydyttää
— to coagulate
Finnish:
hyytyä
— to coagulate
French:
coaguler
— to coagulate
Galician:
callar
— to coagulate
Galician:
trallar
— to coagulate
German:
gerinnen
— to coagulate
Latin:
concrescō
— to coagulate
Macedonian:
засирува
(zasiruva)
— to coagulate
Macedonian:
згрутчува
(zgrutčuva)
— to coagulate
Portuguese:
coagular
— to coagulate
Romanian:
închega
— to coagulate
Russian:
свёртываться
(svjórtyvatʹsja)
— to coagulate
Russian:
свора́чиваться
(svoráčivatʹsja)
— to coagulate
Russian:
сверну́ться
(svernútʹsja)
— to coagulate
Russian:
коагули́ровать
(koagulírovatʹ)
— to coagulate
Russian:
коагули́роваться
(koagulírovatʹsja)
— to coagulate
Russian:
сгуща́ться
(sguščátʹsja)
— to coagulate
Russian:
сгусти́ться
(sgustítʹsja)
— to coagulate
Serbo-Croatian:
згруша́вати
— to coagulate
Serbo-Croatian:
згу̏снути
— to coagulate
Serbo-Croatian:
zgrušávati
— to coagulate
Serbo-Croatian:
zgȕsnuti
— to coagulate
Spanish:
coagular
— to coagulate
Swedish:
stelna
— to coagulate
Tamil:
கட்டு
(kaṭṭu)
— to coagulate
Tamil:
தோய்
(tōy)
— to coagulate
Dutch:
klonteren
— to cause to form clumps
Finnish:
saostaa
— to cause to form clumps
Finnish:
saostua
— to cause to form clumps
Macedonian:
згрутчува
(zgrutčuva)
— to cause to form clumps
Russian:
сгуща́ть
(sguščátʹ)
— to cause to form clumps
Russian:
сгусти́ть
(sgustítʹ)
— to cause to form clumps
Russian:
свёртывать
(svjórtyvatʹ)
— to cause to form clumps
Russian:
свора́чивать
(svoráčivatʹ)
— to cause to form clumps
Russian:
сверну́ть
(svernútʹ)
— to cause to form clumps
Serbo-Croatian:
згруша́вати
— to cause to form clumps
Serbo-Croatian:
zgrušávati
— to cause to form clumps