Curfew is a rule or law that sets a time that certain people have to be off the streets. A town may set a curfew for teenagers, for example, although many parents impose a stricter curfew for their own kids. Definition of curfew in the Definitions.net dictionary. Meaning of curfew. What does curfew mean? Information and translations of curfew in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on the web. Curfew is a rule that people must stay at home or off the streets between certain hours, usually at night, especially during a war or a crisis. Learn more about the meaning, usage, and pronunciation of curfew with examples and translations. The noun 'curfew' has its origins in the Old French word 'covrefeu,' which is a combination of 'cover' (from the Latin 'covrir,' meaning 'to cover') and 'feu' (from the Latin 'focus,' meaning 'fire'). In medieval Europe, a 'curfew' was originally a bell rung in the evening to signal the time at which people were required to cover or extinguish their fires, a safety measure aimed at preventing the spread of accidental fires in tightly packed, often wooden, urban areas. Over time, 'curfew ...
