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anfractuous

[ an-frak-choo-uhs ]
/ ænˈfræk tʃu əs /
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adjective
characterized by windings and turnings; sinuous; circuitous: an anfractuous path.
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Origin of anfractuous

First recorded 1575–85; from French anfractueux, from Late Latin anfractuosus “roundabout, prolix,” from Latin anfractus “bend, curve” (equivalent to the prefix am-, an-, a rare variant of ambi- “both, around, about”) and a derivative of the verb frangere “to break, shatter, smash” + adjective suffix -osus; see origin at fraction, break, -ose1

Words nearby anfractuous

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

British Dictionary definitions for anfractuous

anfractuous
/ (ænˈfræktʃʊəs) /

adjective
characterized by twists and turns; convoluted

Word Origin for anfractuous

C17: from Late Latin anfractuōsus, from Latin anfractus a digression, literally: a bending
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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