/
ˈtɔːtʃʊəs,
-jʊəs/
adj.
- full of twists and turns.
- excessively lengthy and complex.
Derivative
- tortuosity n.
(pl. tortuosities)
. - tortuously adv.
- tortuousness n.
Usage
The words tortuous and torturous have different core meanings. Tortuous means ‘full of twists and turns’ (a tortuous route), while torturous means ‘characterized by pain or suffering’ (a torturous five days of fitness training).
Etymology
ME: via OFr. from L. tortuosus, from tortus ‘twisting, a twist’, from L. torquere ‘to twist’.
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