Nearby Words
adjective
1.
full of twists, turns, or bends; twisting, winding, or crooked: a tortuous path.
2.
not direct or straightforward, as in procedure or speech; intricate; circuitous: tortuous negotiations lasting for months.
3.
deceitfully indirect or morally crooked, as proceedings, methods, or policy; devious.
Origin:
1350–1400; Middle English < Latin tortuōsus, equivalent to tortu(s) a twisting (tor(quēre) to twist, bend + -tus suffix of v. action) + -ōsus -ous
1350–1400; Middle English < Latin tortuōsus, equivalent to tortu(s) a twisting (tor(quēre) to twist, bend + -tus suffix of v. action) + -ōsus -ous
Related forms
tor·tu·ous·ly, adverb
tor·tu·ous·ness, noun
non·tor·tu·ous, adjective
non·tor·tu·ous·ly, adverb
un·tor·tu·ous, adjective
EXPANDSynonyms
1. bent, sinuous, serpentine. 2. evasive, roundabout, indirect.
1. bent, sinuous, serpentine. 2. evasive, roundabout, indirect.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Tortuous
is a GRE word you need to know.
So is bastion. Does it mean:
| call in question |
| a projecting portion of a rampart or fortification that forms an irregular pentagon attached at the base to the main work |
Collins
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
tortuous
c.1391, from Anglo-Fr. tortuous (12c.), from L. tortuosus "full of twists, winding," from tortus "a twisting, winding," from stem of torquere "to twist, wring, distort" (see thwart).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary
tortuous tor·tu·ous (tôr'ch&oomacr;-əs)
adj.
Having many turns; winding or twisting.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cite This Source
Word Dynamo Rating For Tortuous
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