1 a a regulation restricting or forbidding the public circulation of people, esp. requiring people to remain indoors between specified hours, usu. at night. b the hour designated as the beginning of such a restriction. c a daily signal indicating this.
2 hist. a a medieval regulation requiring people to extinguish fires at a fixed hour in the evening. b the hour for this. c the bell announcing it.
3 the ringing of a bell at a fixed evening hour.
Etymology: ME f. AF coeverfu, OF cuevrefeu f. the stem of couvrir COVER + feu fire
Useful english dictionary. 2012.