noun

1. A scroll termination, as of a step, etc.

verb

1. To cut short the tail of an animal

   “Curtailing horses procured long horse-hair.”

2. To shorten or abridge the duration of something; to truncate.

   “When the audience grew restless, the speaker curtailed her speech.”

3. To limit or restrict, keep in check.

Synonyms: crop, dock, behedge, control, limit, restrain, abbreviate, shorten