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":"cLwUpmt29wkbryPk1r_Jm","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}},{"type":"fetchWordsNearby/fulfilled","payload":{"data":{"before":[{"slug":"kloof","entry":"kloof"},{"slug":"klootchman","entry":"klootchman"},{"slug":"klopstock","entry":"Klopstock"},{"slug":"klosse","entry":"klösse"},{"slug":"kluck","entry":"kluck"}],"after":[{"slug":"kludge","entry":"kludge"},{"slug":"klutz","entry":"klutz"},{"slug":"klutzy","entry":"klutzy"},{"slug":"kluver-bucy-syndrome","entry":"Klüver-Bucy syndrome"},{"slug":"klydonograph","entry":"Klydonograph"}]}},"meta":{"arg":{"word":"kluckhohn"},"requestId":"tHcYe41zvXbiVS-eHsbbM","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}},{"type":"luna/fetchExampleSentences/fulfilled","payload":{"data":{"tdb":[],"gbg":[]}},"meta":{"arg":{"word":"kluckhohn"},"requestId":"7YvFGnTG_7bK3F_Kuo5XL","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}},{"type":"fetchDictionaryResults/fulfilled","payload":{"slugs":[{"entries":[{"__typename":"Entry","audioPronunciations":[{"mpeg":"https://nonprod-audio.dictionary.com/K01/K0141200/K0141200.mp3"}],"confusableNotes":[],"genderNotes":[],"grammarNotes":[],"headword":{"displayForm":"Kluckhohn","slug":"kluckhohn"},"idioms":[],"orderKey":99999010,"ordinal":10,"origin":null,"partOfSpeechBlock":[{"definitions":[{"antonymsConnection":{"edges":[]},"definitionSetChunks":"[{\"text\": \"Clyde (Kay Ma\\u00b7ben)\", \"type\": \"name\"}, {\"type\": \"pronunciation_set\", \"punc\": \"comma\", \"pointsTo\": \"u3bb48a285cbafaf0.-3bc55cee.14d9e6bf626.6d54\", \"pronunciationGroupChunks\": [{\"type\": \"pronunciation_group\", \"pointsTo\": \"u3bb48a285cbafaf0.-3bc55cee.14d9e6bf626.6d55\", \"ipaChunks\": [{\"text\": \"\\u02c8me\\u026a b\\u0259n\", \"type\": \"text\", \"pointsTo\": \"u3bb48a285cbafaf0.-3bc55cee.14d9e6bf626.6d56\"}], \"spellChunks\": [{\"text\": \"mey\", \"type\": \"bold\", \"pointsTo\": \"u3bb48a285cbafaf0.-3bc55cee.14d9e6bf626.6d58\"}, {\"text\": \"-b\", \"type\": \"text\"}, {\"text\": \"uh\", \"type\": \"emphasis\", \"pointsTo\": \"u3bb48a285cbafaf0.-3bc55cee.14d9e6bf626.6d59\"}, {\"text\": \"n\", \"type\": \"text\"}]}]}, {\"text\": \"1905\\u201360,\", \"type\": \"date\"}, {\"type\": \"def\", \"children\": [{\"text\": \"American anthropologist.\", \"type\": \"text\"}]}]","examples":[],"ordinal":1,"subdefinitions":[],"synonymsConnection":{"edges":[]}}],"inflectionSets":[],"labelSet":null,"ordinal":1,"partOfSpeech":"noun"}],"pronunciationNotes":[],"pronunciationSet":{"pronunciationSetChunk":"{\"type\": \"pronunciation_set\", \"pointsTo\": \"u3bb48a285cbafaf0.-3bc55cee.14d9e6bf626.6d46\", \"pronunciationGroupChunks\": [{\"type\": \"pronunciation_group\", \"pointsTo\": \"u3bb48a285cbafaf0.-3bc55cee.14d9e6bf626.6d47\", \"ipaChunks\": [{\"text\": \"\\u02c8kl\\u028ck ho\\u028an\", \"type\": \"text\", \"pointsTo\": \"u3bb48a285cbafaf0.-3bc55cee.14d9e6bf626.6d48\"}], \"spellChunks\": [{\"text\": \"kluhk\", \"type\": \"bold\", \"pointsTo\": \"u3bb48a285cbafaf0.-3bc55cee.14d9e6bf626.6d4a\"}, {\"text\": \"-hohn\", \"type\": \"text\"}]}]}"},"relatedFormSets":[],"sensitiveNotes":[],"spellingNotes":[],"synonymStudy":[],"usageAlerts":[],"usageNotes":[],"variants":[],"verbPhrases":[]}],"url":"kluckhohn"}]},"meta":{"arg":{"slug":"kluckhohn"},"requestId":"erpnnyIPgECKwkekkdMHW","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}},{"type":"fetchResultsData/fulfilled","payload":{"data":{"url":"kluckhohn","displayForm":"Kluckhohn","canonicalSlug":"kluckhohn","content":[{"source":"luna","entries":[{"id":"u3bb48a285cbafaf0.-3bc55cee.14d9e6bf626.6d42","type":"normal","entry":"Kluckhohn","entrySyllabified":"Kluck·hohn","entryVariants":[],"homograph":null,"pronunciation":{"ipa":"ˈklʌk hoʊn ","spell":"kluhk-hohn ","audio":{"audio/ogg":"https://static.sfdict.com/audio/lunawav/K01/K0141200.ogg","audio/mpeg":"https://static.sfdict.com/audio/K01/K0141200.mp3"}},"predefinitionContent":"","posBlocks":[{"definitions":[{"order":1,"type":"simple","predefinitionContent":"Clyde (Kay Ma·ben)

[mey-buhn], /ˈmeɪ bən/, 1905–60,","postdefinitionContent":"","definition":"American anthropologist.","synonyms":"","antonyms":"","cites":[]}],"pos":"noun","posSupplementaryInfo":""}],"origin":null,"originData":null,"supplementaryNotes":[],"variantForms":[],"variantSpellings":[],"referenceData":[],"relatedForms":[],"confusables":[]}]}],"nearbyWordOrdinal":85446,"index-rank-01":["kluckhohn"],"index-rank-02":[],"index-rank-03":[],"index-rank-04":["kluckhohn's"],"index-rank-05":[],"index-rank-06":["clyde kay maben kluckhohn"],"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":[],"tunaSlug":null,"isFeaturedMetaSlug":false}},"meta":{"arg":{"word":"kluckhohn"},"requestId":"ghhlEW3JKLLP4W6NZ58Id","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}},{"type":"fetchSpellSuggestions/fulfilled","payload":{"data":{"luna":["Kluckhohn","glucagon","clock on","klaxon","kolkhoz","glucosan","glucosin","clock in","Clacton","clock-hour","Clarkson"],"tuna":["kolkhoz","clicking","clock in","glycogen","clacking","clocking","clocked in"],"lunaWithSlug":[{"displayForm":"Kluckhohn","slug":"kluckhohn"},{"displayForm":"glucagon","slug":"glucagon"},{"displayForm":"clock on","slug":"clock-on"},{"displayForm":"klaxon","slug":"klaxon"},{"displayForm":"kolkhoz","slug":"kolkhoz"},{"displayForm":"glucosan","slug":"glucosan"},{"displayForm":"glucosin","slug":"glucosin"},{"displayForm":"clock in","slug":"clock--in"},{"displayForm":"Clacton","slug":"clacton"},{"displayForm":"clock-hour","slug":"clock-hour"},{"displayForm":"Clarkson","slug":"clarkson"}],"tunaWithSlug":[{"displayForm":"kolkhoz","slug":"kolkhoz"},{"displayForm":"clicking","slug":"clicking"},{"displayForm":"clock in","slug":"clock%20in"},{"displayForm":"glycogen","slug":"glycogen"},{"displayForm":"clacking","slug":"clacking"},{"displayForm":"clocking","slug":"clocking"},{"displayForm":"clocked in","slug":"clocked%20in"}]}},"meta":{"arg":{"word":"kluckhohn"},"requestId":"S-RFtLsZPw-bH4XGjtjfo","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}}]},"actionData":null,"errors":null}

Kluckhohn

noun

Word of the Day