CURB

4 letters, 8 points in Scrabble, 1 vowel

What CURB Means

noun: an edge between a sidewalk and a roadway consisting of a line of curbstones (usually forming part of a gutter)
noun: a horse's bit with an attached chain or strap to check the horse
verb: lessen the intensity of; temper; hold in restraint; hold or keep within limits“moderate your alcohol intake”
verb: keep to the curb“curb your dogs”

Definitions from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

What It Scores

CURB is a valid word in the tournament list this site uses. Tile values only, before any premium square: 8 in Scrabble and 11 in Words With Friends. The letters break down as C3 U1 R1 B3.

Words Made From The Letters In CURB

9 shorter words come out of these tiles. On a board that matters more than the long play, because a short word on a premium square often beats a long one on plain squares.

3 letter words (8)

BRU BUR CRU CUB CUR RUB RUC URB

2 letter words (1)

Longer Words Containing CURB

CURB appears inside each of these, which is what makes it worth knowing as a hook.

CUCURBIT CUCURBITAL CUCURBITS CURBABLE CURBED CURBER CURBERS CURBING CURBINGS CURBLESS CURBS CURBSIDE CURBSIDES CURBSTONE CURBSTONES UNCURB UNCURBABLE UNCURBED UNCURBING UNCURBS WELLCURB WELLCURBS

Next: the Word Unscrambler for any letters at all. Full entry and definition at Merriam-Webster.