Circumvolute

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To coil or wind something around an object in a spiral or circular manner
2. The action of twisting or spiraling around something, often covering or enfolding it
3. To wrap or turn in a circular or spiral motion around a point or axis

Etymology: The English verb "circumvolute" comes from the Latin "circumvolutus," the past participle of "circumvolvere," meaning "to roll around" or "to wind around." It is built from "circum," "around," and "volvere," "to roll" or "to turn," the same Latin root that gives English "revolve," "volume," and "evolve." The English verb itself is a later formation on that Latin base. Its literal sense of coiling or enfolding something is still close to the surface. Because the word is a technical-sounding formation built from classical parts rather than a term that came down through everyday speech, its meaning has stayed fairly tied to the physical image of rolling or winding around an object. Its adjective relative, "circumvoluted," is the form more often met in writing about folded or convoluted shapes, such as the surface of the brain.

Synonyms: coil, twist, wind, spiral, entwine

Antonyms: unwind, straighten, untwist, uncoil, unravel