curling

curling, winter sport, similar in principle to bowls and quoits (see horseshoe pitching), played on an ice court by teams of four. Each player hurls a squat, circular stone—weighing 38 lb (17.2 kg), dished on bottom and top and having a top handle for the player's grip—at the tees, or fixed goals, which are placed 38 yd (35 m) apart. Around each tee a circle is drawn with a radius of 6 ft (1.8 m). Each player is provided with a crampit, or spiked metal plate, to get a foothold on the ice, and a broom to sweep the ice in front of the swerving stone—one of the eye-catching features of the game. The players on both teams alternately send the stones toward one tee; the stones lying nearest the tee at the end of play count toward the score. The play is then made toward the opposite tee. A curling tournament is called a bonspiel. Curling is a major winter sport of Scotland, where it was played perhaps as early as the 16th cent. The Royal Caledonia Curling Club, founded in 1838, is the governing body of the sport. Curling is also popular in Canada, is played to some extent in the United States and other countries, and is a winter Olympic sport.

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curling

The British women's curling team competing in the final match at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt …

(credit: Roberto Schmidt—AFP/Getty Images)

Game in which two teams of four players each slide a round stone by means of a gooseneck handle on the top over a 138-ft (42-m) stretch of ice toward a target circle. The object is to deliver the stone closest to the centre (called the house). Each player delivers two stones, which average 40 lbs (18.1 kg) apiece, often applying a curl to the stone's trajectory. The player's teammates use a broom to sweep the ice ahead of the oncoming stone in order to facilitate a longer slide or to adjust the arc of the curl. Blocking and knocking out an opponent's stones are important strategies of the sport. Curling originated in Scotland in the early 16th century. World championships have been held since 1959 and are usually dominated by Canadians and Scandinavians. In 1998 curling became a medal sport in the Winter Olympic Games.

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curling

a game played on ice, esp in Scotland and Canada, in which heavy stones with handles (curling stones) are slid towards a target (tee)
http://icing.org

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curling [′kərl·iŋ]

(mechanical engineering)

A forming process in which the edge of a sheet-metal part is rolled over to produce a hollow tubular rim.