Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Having a coat or covering of hair that is curly: Describes an animal, or occasionally a person, whose hair or fur grows in tight curls or ringlets.

Usage

• The adjective curly-coated is used attributively, meaning it typically comes before the noun it describes.
• It is most commonly applied to specific breeds of dogs or other animals to denote a key physical characteristic of their fur.

Examples

• Adjective:
  • The curly-coated retriever is known for its intelligence and distinctive, water-resistant fur.
  • We saw a beautiful curly-coated lamb at the county fair.

Advanced Usage

• Descriptive Compound: While "curly-coated" functions as a single descriptive term, it can be analyzed as a compound adjective formed from "curly" + "coated." This structure is common in English for creating specific descriptors (e.g., , ).
• Figurative Use (Rare): In very limited contexts, it might be used figuratively to describe something that has a texture or appearance reminiscent of curly hair.
  • The curly-coated moss gave the ancient stone wall a soft, green texture.

Variants and Related Words

• Curly-haired (adj): Having curly hair. This is a more common synonym, especially when referring to people.
  • She is a curly-haired actress.
• Curly (adj): Having curls; forming curves or spirals.
  • curly fries, curly leaves

Synonyms

• Curly-haired
• Ringleted (often for hair arranged in long, distinct ringlets)
• Frizzy (for hair that is tightly curled in a less uniform, sometimes unruly way)

Antonyms

• Straight-haired
• Smooth-coated
• Short-haired (not an exact antonym but describes a different coat type)

Adjective

1. covered with curly hair
   • a curly-coated water spaniel