Various experimental and theoretical measures and methods of analysis of the local and global curvature of  a DNA double helix both continuuum rod and all-atomistic representations will be reviewed.  The methods will be considered critically in the context of  dynamical structure, i.e. a Boltzmann distribution of  thermally accessible individual structures. A lexicon is proposed in which descriptive but not uniquely defined terms  such as static bending, flexibility, and bendability widely used in the current literature are related in a clear and consistent manner to dynamical structure. Current graphical constructs for the analysis of DNA curvature are surveyed. Applications to the prediction and interpretation of experimental indices of DNA curvature assessment of DNA bending, the assessment of DNA bending models, and ventures into structural genomics will be presented.