terminate or abbreviate before its intended or proper end or its full extent; " My speech was cut short"; " Personal freedom is curtailed in many countries"

place restrictions on; " curtail drinking in school"

To cut off the end or tail, or any part, of; to shorten; to abridge; to diminish; to reduce.

The scroll termination of any architectural member, as of a step, etc.

To cut short; reduce; as, to curtail expenses.

To cut short: to cut off a part: to abridge:- pr. p. curtailing: pa. p. curtailed.

To cut short; abbreviate; reduce.

Curtailment.

To shorten; to cut off the end or a part: to abridge.

To shorten; to cut off the end or a part; to abridge or diminish.

These repeated outrages seriously disturbed the Yedo government, and led to several attempts to curtail the privileges which by the treaties were secured to foreigners. – Japan by David Murray

Furthermore, Mr. Vinton did not think it politic to curtail the power of the West in the Senate of the United States by the establishment of large States, since in his opinion " the power of controlling this government in all its departments may be more safely intrusted to the West than in any other hands." – History of the Constitutions of Iowa by Benjamin F. Shambaugh

We may surmise that it was partly due to personal devotion to Gotama and also that there was a growing tendency to curtail the independence allowed to women by earlier Aryan usage. – Hinduism and Buddhism, Vol I. (of 3) An Historical Sketch by Charles Eliot

The day was largely passed in running errands, and Pelle was not one to curtail them; he had no liking for the smelly workshop and its wooden chairs. – Pelle the Conqueror, Vol. 2 by Martin Anderson Nexo

The vigilance and fidelity with which the National Assembly of the United States and Canada has observed its pledge in connection with the limitation of the current administrative expenses of the Cause, and the zeal and ready response manifested by local Assemblies and individual believers to curtail their local and personal expenditures in order to concentrate on the Temple Fund, are worthy of the highest praise, and will deservedly attract the manifold blessings of a loving and bountiful Master. – Unfolding Destiny by Shoghi Effendi

Young Mason did not much care for fervour on the part of Sophia's mother, and therefore had accepted the invitation, though he was obliged by so doing to curtail by some hours his sojourn among the guano stores of Liverpool. – Orley Farm by Anthony Trollope

It is not easy to curtail these boyhood adventures of Sam Clemens and his scapegrace friends, but one might go on indefinitely with their mad doings. – Mark Twain, A Biography, Vol. 1, Part 1, 1835-1866 The Personal And Literary Life Of Samuel Langhorne Clemens by Albert Bigelow Paine

In his Economical Reform he sought to curtail the enormous extravagance of the royal household, and to withdraw the means of wholesale bribery, which offices at the disposal of the king created. – Burke's Speech on Conciliation with America by Edmund Burke

I congratulate you, said he, and likewise myself; I was not mistaken in my opinion of you; the address is too long by at least two- thirds, or I should rather say, that it is longer by two- thirds than addresses generally are; but it will do- I will not curtail it of a word. – Lavengro The Scholar, The Gypsy, The Priest by George Borrow

The Exclusion Bill did not curtail the reigning King's prerogatives, or diminish his income. – The History of England from the Accession of James II. Volume 1 (of 5) by Thomas Babington Macaulay

The first result of the Wartburg scandal was that the Duke of Weimar had to curtail the liberties of his subjects. – History of Modern Europe 1792-1878 by C. A. Fyffe

At all events, Joyce was infinitely glad she was on the spot to curtail the woman's opportunities for further mischief. – Banked Fires by E. W. (Ethel Winifred) Savi

Under this fallacious idea a large proportion of the workmen of both countries each day deliberately work slowly so as to curtail the output. – The Principles of Scientific Management by Frederick Winslow Taylor

The former answered all objections by asserting that " if this section is altered in any way, it will curtail the great principles for which we contend." – The Development of Religious Liberty in Connecticut by M. Louise Greene, Ph. D.

" Well, but that is not all," went on Mattie, too delighted with her brother's interest to try to curtail her story. – Not Like Other Girls by Rosa N. Carey

So this man, morally weak though physically brave, not having the courage to curtail his extravagances, hurried blindly to his destruction. – A Desperate Voyage by Edward Frederick Knight