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tortuous

Syllabification: (tor·tu·ous)
Pronunciation: /ˈtôrCHo͞oəs/
Translate tortuous | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of tortuous

adjective

  • full of twists and turns:the route is remote and tortuous
  • excessively lengthy and complex:a tortuous argument

Derivatives

tortuosity

noun (plural tortuosities)

tortuously

adverb
tortuously twisting logic

tortuousness

noun

Origin:

late Middle English: via Old French from Latin tortuosus, from tortus 'twisting, a twist', from Latin torquere 'to twist'

On the difference between tortuous and torturous, see torturous (usage).

tortuous in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of tortuous in the British & World English dictionary
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