1. (v. t.) To cut off the end or tail; to shorten; to abridge; as, to curtail one's spending habits\; to diminish; to reduce.

2. (n.) The scroll termination of any architectural member, as of a step, etc.

abate abbreviate abrade abridge abstract arrest bate bereave bleed bob boil down bridle capsulize check circumscribe clip coarct compact compress concentrate condense consolidate constrain constrict constringe contain contract control cool cool off cramp crop curb cut cut back cut down cut off cut off short cut short damp dampen decelerate decrease deduct deflate depreciate depress deprive deprive of derogate detract diminish disentitle disparage divest dock dompt downgrade drain draw draw in draw together ease one of eat away elide enjoin epitomize erode extract file away foreshorten govern guard hinder hold hold at bay hold back hold fast hold in hold in check hold in leash hold up impair inhibit keep keep back keep from keep in keep in check keep under control knit lay under restraint leach lessen lighten one of lower milk mine minify mow narrow nip pare poll pollard prohibit prune pucker pucker up pull pull in purify purse reap recap recapitulate reduce refine rein rein in remove restrain retard retrench roll back rub away scale down set back shave shear shorten simplify slash slow down snub solidify step down straiten strangle strangulate stunt subduct subtract sum up summarize synopsize take away take away from take from take in tap telescope thin thin out trim truncate tune down wear away weed withdraw withhold wrinkle