What is "curfew"

Curfew \Cur"few\ (k[^u]r"f[=u]), n. [OE. courfew, curfu, fr. OF. cuevrefu, covrefeu, F. couvre-feu; covrir to cover + feu fire, fr. L. focus fireplace, hearth. See Cover, and Focus.]

1. The ringing of an evening bell, originally a signal to the inhabitants to cover fires, extinguish lights, and retire to rest, -- instituted by William the Conqueror; also, the bell itself.

   He begins at curfew, and walks till the first cock.
   --Shak.

   The village curfew, as it tolled profound.
   --Campbell.

2. A utensil for covering the fire. [Obs.]

   For pans, pots, curfews, counters and the like.
   --Bacon. [1913 Webster] ||

early 14c., "evening signal, ringing of a bell at a fixed hour," from Anglo-French coeverfu (late 13c.), from Old French cuevrefeu, literally "cover fire" (Modern French couvre-few), from cuevre, imperative of covrir "to cover" (see cover (v.)) + feu "fire" (see focus (n.)). The medieval practice of ringing a bell at fixed time in the evening as an order to bank the hearths and prepare for sleep. The original purpose was to prevent conflagrations from untended fires. The modern extended sense of "periodic restriction of movement" had evolved by 1800s.

n. 1 Any regulation requiring people to be off the streets and in their homes by a certain time. 2 The time when such restriction begins. 3 A signal indicating this time. 4 A fireplace accessory designed to bank a fire by completely covering the embers. 5 (context historical English) A regulation in feudal Europe by which fires had to be covered up or put out at a certain fixed time in the evening, marked by the ringing of an evening bell. 6 The evening bell, which continued to be rung in many towns after the regulation itself became obsolete.

1. n. the time that the curfew signal is sounded

2. a signal (usually a bell) announcing the start of curfew restrictions

3. an order that after a specific time certain activities (as being outside on the streets) are prohibited

A curfew is an order specifying a time during which certain regulations apply. Examples:

1. An order issued by the public authorities or military forces requiring everyone or certain people to be indoors at certain times, often at night. It can be imposed to maintain public order (such as those after the Northeast Blackout of 2003, the 2005 civil unrest in France, the 2010 Chile earthquake, the 2011 Egyptian revolution, and the 2014 Ferguson unrest), or suppress targeted groups. Curfews have long been directed at certain groups in many cities or states, such as Japanese-American university students on the West Coast of the United States during World War II, African-Americans in many towns during the time of Jim Crow laws, or people younger than a certain age (usually within a few years either side of 18) in many towns of the United States since the 1980s; see below.
2. An order by the legal guardians of a teenager to return home by a specific time, usually in the evening or night. This may apply daily, or vary with the day of the week, e.g., if the minor has to go to school the next day.
3. A daily requirement for guests to return to their hostel before a specified time, usually in the evening or night.
4. In baseball, a time after which a game must end, or play be suspended. For example, in the American League the curfew rule for many years decreed that no inning could begin after 1 am local time (with the exception of international games).
5. In aeronautics, night flying restrictions may restrict aircraft operations over a defined period in the nighttime, to limit the disruption of aircraft noise on the sleep of nearby residents. Notable examples are the London airports of Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted, which operate under the Quota Count system.
6. In a few locations in the UK patrons of licensed premises may not enter after a "curfew" time. In Inverclyde for example this is currently set at 12:00 am.

"Curfew" is a song by Drive, released as their first and only single in 1993. The lead vocals were by Julienne Davis and it featured Melanie Blatt, who later became known as a member of All Saints, under the name Melanie Guillaume. The single was released both in the United Kingdom and Germany.

Curfew are a jazz fusion band from England. Having been described in the press as " jazz rock with a Weather Report sound", the band are the self-proclaimed pioneers of the electric jazz genre; combining traditional instrumentation and performance with modern MIDI techniques.

Tracks from their latest album, Hold the Front Page, have appeared on radio playlists in countries such as United States and Romania.

Curfew is an American action/ horror 1989 film directed by Gary Winick.

This movie was his directorial debut feature, about two brothers seeking revenge against the members of the legal system who sentenced them to Death Row. Curfew, like Out of the Rain (1991), his second film, were "little-seen thrillers, the former so violent that it suffered censorship and certification problems" in the United Kingdom.

In fact, the film was rejected for video by the British Board of Film Classification in 1988 and was finally released fully uncut in 2002.

Curfew is a 2012 short film directed by Shawn Christensen. The film won the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film at the 85th Academy Awards.

The short is the basis for a feature film which premiered at SXSW 2014 titled Before I Disappear.

A curfew is an order specifying a time after which certain regulations apply.

Curfew may also refer to:

• Curfew (1989 film)
• Curfew (2012 film)
• Curfew (band), an English jazz fusion band
• "Curfew" (song), a 1993 song by Drive

Curfew'' (German:Zapfenstreich'') is a 1925 German silent drama film directed by Conrad Wiene and starring Harry Nestor, Claire Lotto and Fritz Kampers.

The film's art direction was by Max Knaake.