curtain

Main Entry:: ¹cur·tain
Pronunciation:: \ˈkər-t^ən\
Function:: noun
Etymology:: Middle English curtine, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin cortina (translation of Greek aulaia, from aulē court), from Latin cohort-, cohors enclosure, court — more at court
Date:: 14th century

1: a hanging screen usually capable of being drawn back or up ; especially : window drapery2: a device or agency that conceals or acts as a barrier — compare iron curtain3 a: the part of a bastioned front that connects two neighboring bastions b (1): a similar stretch of plain wall (2): a nonbearing exterior wall4 a: the movable screen separating the stage from the auditorium of a theater b: the ascent or opening (as at the beginning of a play) of a stage curtain ; also : its descent or closing (as at the end of an act) c: the final situation, line, or scene of an act or play d: the time at which a theatrical performance begins eplural : end ; especially : death <it will be curtains for us if we're caught>

— cur·tain·less

\-ləs\ adjective

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