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":"9lLyW3jCbR61zhIJuH2Oh","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}},{"type":"fetchWordsNearby/fulfilled","payload":{"data":{"before":[{"slug":"slate-gray","entry":"slate gray"},{"slug":"slater","entry":"slater"},{"slug":"slatey","entry":"slatey"},{"slug":"slather","entry":"slather"},{"slug":"slating","entry":"slating"}],"after":[{"slug":"slattern","entry":"slattern"},{"slug":"slatternly","entry":"slatternly"},{"slug":"slatting","entry":"slatting"},{"slug":"slaty","entry":"slaty"},{"slug":"slaughter","entry":"slaughter"}]}},"meta":{"arg":{"word":"slatkin"},"requestId":"8b_amSDp-N8mUMd0TCu7w","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}},{"type":"luna/fetchExampleSentences/fulfilled","payload":{"data":{"tdb":[],"gbg":[]}},"meta":{"arg":{"word":"slatkin"},"requestId":"yPX1bXmQ_LhdybsdFPDt-","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}},{"type":"fetchDictionaryResults/fulfilled","payload":{"slugs":[{"entries":[{"__typename":"CollinsEntry","headword":{"displayForm":"Slatkin","slug":"slatkin"},"homonym":null,"note":null,"origin":null,"partOfSpeechGroups":[{"definitions":[{"crossReferencesConnection":{"edges":[]},"definitionSetChunks":"[{\"text\": \"SlatkinLeonard1944MUSMUSIC: conductor\", \"type\": \"text\"}, {\"type\": \"defgrp\", \"children\": [{\"text\": \"Leonard.\", \"type\": \"bold\"}, {\"text\": \"born 1944, US conductor; musical director of the St Louis Symphony Orchestra (1979\\u201396) and of the National Symphony Orchestra (1996\\u20132008)\", \"type\": \"text\"}]}]","examples":[],"idiom":null,"ordinal":1,"sense":null,"subdefinitions":[]}],"ordinal":1,"partOfSpeech":"noun"}],"pronunciations":[{"ipa":"ˈslætkɪn"}],"subEntry":[]}],"url":"slatkin"}]},"meta":{"arg":{"slug":"slatkin"},"requestId":"3RXm3lrMmN96OpqgC-Ecl","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}},{"type":"fetchResultsData/fulfilled","payload":{"data":{"url":"slatkin","displayForm":"Slatkin","canonicalSlug":"slatkin","content":[{"source":"collins","entries":[{"id":"add70c113.6bfb.1014.b87b.c2803370a23a.1","type":"normal","entry":"Slatkin","entrySyllabified":null,"entryVariants":"","homograph":null,"pronunciation":{"audio":null,"spell":null,"ipa":"(ˈslætkɪn)"},"predefinitionContent":"","posBlocks":[{"pos":"noun","posSupplementaryInfo":"","definitions":[{"order":1,"type":"simple","predefinitionContent":"","definition":"Leonard. born 1944, US conductor; musical director of the St Louis Symphony Orchestra (1979–96) and of the National Symphony Orchestra (1996–2008)","postdefinitionContent":""}]}],"origin":"","supplementaryNotes":[],"variantForms":[],"referenceData":[],"relatedForms":[],"derivedForms":[]}]}],"nearbyWordOrdinal":142569,"index-rank-01":["slatkin"],"index-rank-02":[],"index-rank-03":[],"index-rank-04":[],"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":[],"tunaSlug":null,"isFeaturedMetaSlug":false}},"meta":{"arg":{"word":"slatkin"},"requestId":"DSksISw2AF69v_cDT7g6x","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}},{"type":"fetchSpellSuggestions/fulfilled","payload":{"data":{"luna":["Slatkin","slating","slatting","saltine","salting","slacken","Slayton","ladykin","sealskin","Salten","Saladin","saltern","stalking","saltpan","slattern","stacking","salt mine","slat","salt pan"],"tuna":["slaking","slating","slacking","saltine","salting","slacken","stalking","slattern","sleeking","slicking","slotting","slat"],"lunaWithSlug":[{"displayForm":"Slatkin","slug":"slatkin"},{"displayForm":"slating","slug":"slating"},{"displayForm":"slatting","slug":"slatting"},{"displayForm":"saltine","slug":"saltine"},{"displayForm":"salting","slug":"salting"},{"displayForm":"slacken","slug":"slacken"},{"displayForm":"Slayton","slug":"slayton"},{"displayForm":"ladykin","slug":"ladykin"},{"displayForm":"sealskin","slug":"sealskin"},{"displayForm":"Salten","slug":"salten"},{"displayForm":"Saladin","slug":"saladin"},{"displayForm":"saltern","slug":"saltern"},{"displayForm":"stalking","slug":"stalking"},{"displayForm":"saltpan","slug":"salt-pan"},{"displayForm":"slattern","slug":"slattern"},{"displayForm":"stacking","slug":"stacking"},{"displayForm":"salt mine","slug":"salt-mine"},{"displayForm":"slat","slug":"slat"},{"displayForm":"salt pan","slug":"salt-pan"}],"tunaWithSlug":[{"displayForm":"slaking","slug":"slaking"},{"displayForm":"slating","slug":"slating"},{"displayForm":"slacking","slug":"slacking"},{"displayForm":"saltine","slug":"saltine"},{"displayForm":"salting","slug":"salting"},{"displayForm":"slacken","slug":"slacken"},{"displayForm":"stalking","slug":"stalking"},{"displayForm":"slattern","slug":"slattern"},{"displayForm":"sleeking","slug":"sleeking"},{"displayForm":"slicking","slug":"slicking"},{"displayForm":"slotting","slug":"slotting"},{"displayForm":"slat","slug":"slat"}]}},"meta":{"arg":{"word":"slatkin"},"requestId":"p8d9PGkuAsuMDOksz0c1B","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}}]},"actionData":null,"errors":null}

Slatkin

noun

Word of the Day