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":"O_T-dYRWIJVrD83EbGLdo","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}},{"type":"fetchWordsNearby/fulfilled","payload":{"data":{"before":[{"slug":"victoria-falls","entry":"Victoria Falls"},{"slug":"victoria-island","entry":"Victoria Island"},{"slug":"victoria-land","entry":"Victoria Land"},{"slug":"victorian","entry":"Victorian"},{"slug":"victoriana","entry":"Victoriana"}],"after":[{"slug":"victoria-nile","entry":"Victoria Nile"},{"slug":"victorianism","entry":"Victorianism"},{"slug":"victorian-period","entry":"Victorian period"},{"slug":"victorian-values","entry":"Victorian values"},{"slug":"victoria--queen","entry":"Victoria, Queen"}]}},"meta":{"arg":{"word":"victorian-box"},"requestId":"MIQqxxtBWOWJ5BcrIdUri","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}},{"type":"luna/fetchExampleSentences/fulfilled","payload":{"data":{"tdb":[],"gbg":[]}},"meta":{"arg":{"word":"victorian-box"},"requestId":"YXdbTx3XT7dwOBYtGquRk","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}},{"type":"fetchDictionaryResults/fulfilled","payload":{"slugs":[{"entries":[{"__typename":"Entry","audioPronunciations":[],"confusableNotes":[],"genderNotes":[],"grammarNotes":[],"headword":{"displayForm":"Victorian box","slug":"victorian-box"},"idioms":[],"orderKey":99999010,"ordinal":10,"origin":null,"partOfSpeechBlock":[{"definitions":[{"antonymsConnection":{"edges":[]},"definitionSetChunks":"[{\"type\": \"def\", \"children\": [{\"text\": \"a tree,\", \"type\": \"text\"}, {\"text\": \"Pittosporum undulatum,\", \"type\": \"emphasis\"}, {\"text\": \"of Australia, having shiny, wavy-margined, oblong leaves and fragrant clusters of yellowish flowers.\", \"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":"victorian-box"}]},"meta":{"arg":{"slug":"victorian-box"},"requestId":"NBzurkTAVhYRVjMmJN0ca","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}},{"type":"fetchResultsData/fulfilled","payload":{"data":{"url":"victorian-box","displayForm":"Victorian box","canonicalSlug":"victorian-box","content":[{"source":"luna","entries":[{"id":"u3bb48a285cbafaf0.-3bc55cee.14d9e7c0944.51e1","type":"normal","entry":"Victorian box","entrySyllabified":"Victorian box","entryVariants":[],"homograph":null,"pronunciation":null,"predefinitionContent":"","posBlocks":[{"definitions":[{"order":1,"type":"simple","predefinitionContent":"","postdefinitionContent":"","definition":"a tree, Pittosporum undulatum, of Australia, having shiny, wavy-margined, oblong leaves and fragrant clusters of yellowish flowers.","synonyms":"","antonyms":"","cites":[]}],"pos":"noun","posSupplementaryInfo":""}],"origin":null,"originData":null,"supplementaryNotes":[],"variantForms":["Also called banyalla. "],"variantSpellings":[],"referenceData":[],"relatedForms":[],"confusables":[]}]}],"nearbyWordOrdinal":166600,"index-rank-01":["victorian box"],"index-rank-02":[],"index-rank-03":[],"index-rank-04":["victorian box's","victorian boxes","victorian boxes'"],"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":0.4314312485602194,"gradeLevel":"high_school","tunaSlug":null,"isFeaturedMetaSlug":false}},"meta":{"arg":{"word":"victorian-box"},"requestId":"sH-vN46rjn5mDYu94E73z","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}},{"type":"fetchSpellSuggestions/fulfilled","payload":{"data":{"luna":["Victorian","Victoriana","Victorine","victorine","Victoria","victoria","Victorio","Victor I","Victor II"],"tuna":["Victorian","victorine","victoria"],"lunaWithSlug":[{"displayForm":"Victorian","slug":"victorian"},{"displayForm":"Victoriana","slug":"victoriana"},{"displayForm":"Victorine","slug":"victorine"},{"displayForm":"victorine","slug":"victorine"},{"displayForm":"Victoria","slug":"victoria"},{"displayForm":"victoria","slug":"victoria"},{"displayForm":"Victorio","slug":"victorio"},{"displayForm":"Victor I","slug":"victor-i"},{"displayForm":"Victor II","slug":"victor-ii"}],"tunaWithSlug":[{"displayForm":"Victorian","slug":"victorian"},{"displayForm":"victorine","slug":"victorine"},{"displayForm":"victoria","slug":"victoria"}]}},"meta":{"arg":{"word":"victorian-box"},"requestId":"1-s-HwoEBjBUVIJCcM77t","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}}]},"actionData":null,"errors":null}

Victorian box

noun

Word of the Day