Tortulous

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Characterized by having a twisted, winding, or irregularly bent form, especially in botanical or anatomical structures
2. Having a twisted or coiled shape, particularly when describing structures in plants or anatomical features
3. Exhibiting a winding or convoluted form that may be seen in various biological contexts

Etymology: Every twist in this adjective goes back to the Latin verb "torquere", meaning "to twist". Its past participle, "tortus", gave Latin the adjective "tortuosus", meaning winding or crooked, which passed into English as "tortuous". The same root lies behind "torque", a force that twists, and "torture", from the Latin "tortura", a twisting or wrenching. "Tortulous" is a rare variant that keeps the same sense of being full of bends and turns. Its ending, "-ulous", is an English adjective suffix from Latin "-ulosus", which often means "full of", as in "fabulous" from "fabulosus". The variant is most likely formed on the pattern of "tortuous", so it is best understood as an obscure cousin of that more familiar word.

Synonyms: winding, twisted

Antonyms: straight