1. [n]  profane or obscene expression usually of surprise or anger; "expletives were deleted"
2. [n]  an evil spell; "a witch put a curse on his whole family"; "he put the whammy on me"
3. [n]  an appeal to some supernatural power to inflict evil on someone or some group
4. [n]  a severe affliction
5. [n]  something causes misery or death; "the bane of my life"
6. [v]  utter obscenities or profanities; "The drunken men were cursing loudly in the street"
7. [v]  wish harm upon; put a curse on; "The bad witch cursed the child"
8. [v]  heap obscenities upon
9. [v]  exclude from a church or a religious community; "The gay priest was excommunicated when he married his partner"

1. \Curse\ (k?rs), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Cursed} (k?rst) or
   {Curst}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Cursing}.] [AS. cursian, corsian,
   perh. of Scand. origin; cf. Dan. korse to make the sign of
   the cross, Sw. korsa, fr. Dan. & Sw. kors cross, Icel kross,
   all these Scand. words coming fr. OF. crois, croiz, fr. L.
   crux cross. Cf. {Cross}.]
   1. To call upon divine or supernatural power to send injury
      upon; to imprecate evil upon; to execrate.
   
            Thou shalt not . . . curse the ruler of thy people.
                                                  --Ex. xxii.
                                                  28.
   
            Ere sunset I'll make thee curse the deed. --Shak.
   
   2. To bring great evil upon; to be the cause of serious harm
      or unhappiness to; to furnish with that which will be a
      cause of deep trouble; to afflict or injure grievously; to
      harass or torment.
   
            On impious realms and barbarous kings impose Thy
            plagues, and curse 'em with such sons as those.
                                                  --Pope.
   
   {To curse by bell, book, and candle}. See under {Bell}.
   
   

2. \Curse\, v. i.
   To utter imprecations or curses; to affirm or deny with
   imprecations; to swear.
   
         Then began he to curse and to swear.     --Matt. xxi.
                                                  74.
   
         His spirits hear me, And yet I need must curse. --Shak.
   
   

3. \Curse\, n. [AS. curs. See {Curse}, v. t.]
   1. An invocation of, or prayer for, harm or injury;
      malediction.
   
            Lady, you know no rules of charity, Which renders
            good for bad, blessings for curses.   --Shak.
   
   2. Evil pronounced or invoked upon another, solemnly, or in
      passion; subjection to, or sentence of, divine
      condemnation.
   
            The priest shall write these curses in a book.
                                                  --Num. v. 23.
   
            Curses, like chickens, come home to roost. --Old
                                                  Proverb.
   
   3. The cause of great harm, evil, or misfortune; that which
      brings evil or severe affliction; torment.
   
            The common curse of mankind, folly and ignorance.
                                                  --Shak.
   
            All that I eat, or drink, or shall beget, Is
            propagated curse.                     --Milton.
   
   {The curse of Scotland} (Card Playing), the nine of diamonds.
   
   
   {Not worth a curse}. See under {Cress}.
   
   Syn: Malediction; imprecation; execration. See {Malediction}.
   
   

denounced by God against the serpent (Gen. 3:14), and against Cain (4:11). These divine maledictions carried their effect with them. Prophetical curses were sometimes pronounced by holy men (Gen. 9:25; 49:7; Deut. 27:15; Josh. 6:26). Such curses are not the consequence of passion or revenge, they are predictions.

No one on pain of death shall curse father or mother (Ex. 21:17), nor the prince of his people (22:28), nor the deaf (Lev. 19:14). Cursing God or blaspheming was punishable by death (Lev. 24:10-16). The words "curse God and die" (R.V., "renounce God and die"), used by Job's wife (Job 2:9), have been variously interpreted. Perhaps they simply mean that as nothing but death was expected, God would by this cursing at once interpose and destroy Job, and so put an end to his sufferings.