curdle

verb

cur·​dle ˈkər-dᵊl 

curdled; curdling ˈkərd-liŋ 

ˈkər-dᵊl-iŋ

intransitive verb

1

: to form curds

also : to congeal as if by forming curds

a scream curdled in her throat

2

: to go bad or wrong : spoil

transitive verb

1

: to cause curds to form in

curdled milk

2

: spoil, sour

Examples of curdle in a Sentence

Too much heat will make the custard curdle.

Too much heat will curdle the custard.

Recent Examples on the Web

The production of blue cheese involves several key steps: Milk preparation: The milk is warmed and combined with starter cultures and rennet to initiate curdling. —Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 20 Oct. 2024

The process made milk more easily digestible, with microbes producing lactic acid that causes milk to curdle and form the basis of cheese. —Katie Hunt, CNN, 25 Sep. 2024

The old laughter has now curdled into something more personal and petulant—and potentially dangerous. —Megan Garber, The Atlantic, 16 Sep. 2024

And yes, such regurgitation of knowledge about painting’s history and its underlying conditions can easily curdle into a pose. —Moritz Scheper, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

metathetic variant of cruddle, crudle, frequentative of crud entry 2

First Known Use

1585, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Phrases Containing curdle

• make someone's blood curdle

Kids Definition

curdle

verb

cur·​dle ˈkərd-ᵊl 

curdled; curdling ˈkərd-liŋ 

-ᵊl-iŋ

1

: to form curds

2

: to cause curds to form in

high heat curdled the custard

3

—used in expressions such as make one's blood curdle to indicate a feeling of terror

a ghost story that will make your blood curdle