Curtal \Cur"tal\ (k?r"tal), a. [OF. courtault, F. courtaud, having a docked tail (cf. It. cortaldo), fr. court short, L. curtus. See {Curt}, and {Curtail}.] Curt; brief; laconic. Essays and curtal aphorisms. --Milton. {Curtal dog}. See {Curtail dog}.