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tortuous

tor·tu·ous [ táwrchoo əss ]


adjective 
Definition:
 
1. twisting and winding: with many turns or bends

2. intricate: extremely complex or intricate

3. devious: devious or deceitful

[14th century. Via Anglo-Norman< Latin tortuosus< torquere "to twist"]

tor·tu·ous·ly adverb
tor·tu·ous·ness noun

Word Usage
tortuous or torturous?

Even though both words come ultimately from the same Latin word, meaning "to twist," their meanings diverge in English. A mountain pass is tortuous ("with many turns or bends"), and by figurative extension, a legal argument can be tortuous ("complex or intricate") as well. A severe illness, and by figurative extension a decision, may be torturous ("causing anguish").

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