The word “curve” can be defined as follows:
1. **As a noun**: A curve is a smoothly flowing, continuous line or path that deviates from being straight. It can refer to any shape that is not a straight line, such as the arc of a circle or the contour of a surface.
2. **As a verb**: To curve means to bend or to shape into a curve. It involves the action of changing direction or form from straight to curved.
In various contexts, curves can be observed in mathematics (like a graph), art (in design), and nature (such as the shape of a river).