First recorded in 1350–1400.
Comes via Middle English from the Latin word tortuōsus, which derives from the verb torquēre, “to twist, bend.”
Sign up for more Word of the Day!

\r\nEXAMPLES OF TORTUOUS\r\n

The tortuous road through the mountains made for a challenging but scenic drive.
The author's writing style was known for its elegant prose and tortuous plot twists.

\r\nIt's National Poetry Month, and we’ve created a challenge that really is for everyone. Submit now!","audio":"https://static.sfdict.com/audio/T03/T0390200.mp3","definitions":[{"partofspeech":"adjective","data":"full of twists, turns, or bends; twisting, winding, or crooked."}],"examples":[],"imageUrl":"https://www.dictionary.com/e/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/tortuous_IG.png","accentColor":"#0063D7"}},"status":"succeeded"}},"meta":{"requestId":"X9_RlZ-Oa9GsdP89LEOrP","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}},{"type":"fetchWordsNearby/fulfilled","payload":{"data":{"before":[{"slug":"centimetre","entry":"centimetre"},{"slug":"centimetre-gram-second","entry":"centimetre-gram-second"},{"slug":"centimo","entry":"centimo"},{"slug":"centimorgan","entry":"centimorgan"},{"slug":"centipede","entry":"centipede"}],"after":[{"slug":"centipoise","entry":"centipoise"},{"slug":"centistere","entry":"centistere"},{"slug":"centistoke","entry":"centistoke"},{"slug":"centner","entry":"centner"},{"slug":"cento","entry":"cento"}]}},"meta":{"arg":{"word":"centipede-grass"},"requestId":"6WtlqI8-5X23mnlWo7_nG","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}},{"type":"luna/fetchExampleSentences/fulfilled","payload":{"data":{"tdb":[],"gbg":[]}},"meta":{"arg":{"word":"centipede-grass"},"requestId":"QZZZa3gzk2-sg1sTwLAbR","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}},{"type":"fetchDictionaryResults/fulfilled","payload":{"slugs":[{"entries":[{"__typename":"Entry","audioPronunciations":[],"confusableNotes":[],"genderNotes":[],"grammarNotes":[],"headword":{"displayForm":"centipede grass","slug":"centipede-grass"},"idioms":[],"orderKey":99999010,"ordinal":10,"origin":null,"partOfSpeechBlock":[{"definitions":[{"antonymsConnection":{"edges":[]},"definitionSetChunks":"[{\"type\": \"def\", \"children\": [{\"text\": \"a slow-growing grass,\", \"type\": \"text\"}, {\"text\": \"Eremochloa ophiuroides,\", \"type\": \"emphasis\"}, {\"text\": \"introduced into the U.S. from China and used for lawns in warm areas.\", \"type\": \"text\"}]}]","examples":[],"ordinal":1,"subdefinitions":[],"synonymsConnection":{"edges":[]}}],"inflectionSets":[],"labelSet":null,"ordinal":1,"partOfSpeech":"noun"}],"pronunciationNotes":[],"pronunciationSet":null,"relatedFormSets":[],"sensitiveNotes":[],"spellingNotes":[],"synonymStudy":[],"usageAlerts":[],"usageNotes":[],"variants":[],"verbPhrases":[]}],"url":"centipede-grass"}]},"meta":{"arg":{"slug":"centipede-grass"},"requestId":"f2pULnaHmWnh19ztyx1_T","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}},{"type":"fetchResultsData/fulfilled","payload":{"data":{"url":"centipede-grass","displayForm":"centipede grass","canonicalSlug":"centipede-grass","content":[{"source":"luna","entries":[{"id":"u3bb48a285cbafaf0.-3bc55cee.14d9e5f8a6e.6651","type":"normal","entry":"centipede grass","entrySyllabified":"centipede grass","entryVariants":[],"homograph":null,"pronunciation":null,"predefinitionContent":"","posBlocks":[{"definitions":[{"order":1,"type":"simple","predefinitionContent":"","postdefinitionContent":"","definition":"a slow-growing grass, Eremochloa ophiuroides, introduced into the U.S. from China and used for lawns in warm areas.","synonyms":"","antonyms":"","cites":[]}],"pos":"noun","posSupplementaryInfo":""}],"origin":null,"originData":null,"supplementaryNotes":[],"variantForms":[],"variantSpellings":[],"referenceData":[],"relatedForms":[],"confusables":[]}]}],"nearbyWordOrdinal":27046,"index-rank-01":["centipede grass"],"index-rank-02":[],"index-rank-03":[],"index-rank-04":["centipede grass'","centipede grass's","centipede grasses","centipede grasses'"],"index-rank-05":[],"index-rank-06":[],"index-rank-07":[],"index-rank-08":[],"index-rank-09":[],"index-rank-10":[],"index-rank-11":[],"index-rank-12":[],"index-rank-13":[],"index-rank-14":[],"index-rank-15":[],"complexityScore":0.463381492510937,"gradeLevel":"high_school","tunaSlug":null,"isFeaturedMetaSlug":false}},"meta":{"arg":{"word":"centipede-grass"},"requestId":"TD2ptD9qb7ySjlbOgbNOy","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}},{"type":"fetchSpellSuggestions/fulfilled","payload":{"data":{"luna":[],"tuna":[],"lunaWithSlug":[],"tunaWithSlug":[]}},"meta":{"arg":{"word":"centipede-grass"},"requestId":"9P5h5ElQdVVt5mSNhiL2W","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}}]},"actionData":null,"errors":null}

centipede grass

noun

Word of the Day