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":"gaHdHYbumzTNxItA8Fjt_","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}},{"type":"fetchWordsNearby/fulfilled","payload":{"data":{"before":[{"slug":"domination","entry":"domination"},{"slug":"dominations","entry":"dominations"},{"slug":"dominative","entry":"dominative"},{"slug":"dominatrix","entry":"dominatrix"},{"slug":"domine","entry":"domine"}],"after":[{"slug":"dominee","entry":"dominee"},{"slug":"domineer","entry":"domineer"},{"slug":"domineering","entry":"domineering"},{"slug":"domingo","entry":"Domingo"},{"slug":"dominguin","entry":"Dominguín"}]}},"meta":{"arg":{"word":"domine--dirige-nos"},"requestId":"SgqpXEV0dGTDocFpwbepM","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}},{"type":"luna/fetchExampleSentences/fulfilled","payload":{"data":{"tdb":[],"gbg":[]}},"meta":{"arg":{"word":"domine--dirige-nos"},"requestId":"rcZs0YzgGM5heNK4bZyhF","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}},{"type":"fetchDictionaryResults/fulfilled","payload":{"slugs":[{"entries":[{"__typename":"Entry","audioPronunciations":[{"mpeg":"https://nonprod-audio.dictionary.com/D04/D0451100/D0451100.mp3"}],"confusableNotes":[],"genderNotes":[],"grammarNotes":[],"headword":{"displayForm":"domine, dirige nos","slug":"domine-dirige-nos"},"idioms":[],"orderKey":99999010,"ordinal":10,"origin":null,"partOfSpeechBlock":[{"definitions":[{"antonymsConnection":{"edges":[]},"definitionSetChunks":"[{\"type\": \"def\", \"children\": [{\"text\": \"Master, guide us: motto of the city of London.\", \"type\": \"text\"}]}]","examples":[],"ordinal":1,"subdefinitions":[],"synonymsConnection":{"edges":[]}}],"inflectionSets":[],"labelSet":{"labelSetText":"Latin."},"ordinal":1,"partOfSpeech":null}],"pronunciationNotes":[],"pronunciationSet":{"pronunciationSetChunk":"{\"type\": \"pronunciation_set\", \"pointsTo\": \"u3bb48a285cbafaf0.-3bc55cee.14d9e641ad8.-5d82\", \"pronunciationGroupChunks\": [{\"type\": \"pronunciation_group\", \"punc\": \"comma\", \"pointsTo\": \"u3bb48a285cbafaf0.-3bc55cee.14d9e641ad8.-5d81\", \"ipaChunks\": [{\"text\": \"\\u02c8do\\u028a m\\u026a\\u02ccn\\u025b\", \"type\": \"text\", \"pointsTo\": \"u3bb48a285cbafaf0.-3bc55cee.14d9e641ad8.-5d80\"}], \"spellChunks\": [{\"text\": \"doh\", \"type\": \"bold\", \"pointsTo\": \"u3bb48a285cbafaf0.-3bc55cee.14d9e641ad8.-5d7e\"}, {\"text\": \"-mi-ne\", \"type\": \"text\"}]}, {\"type\": \"pronunciation_group\", \"punc\": \"semi\", \"pointsTo\": \"u3bb48a285cbafaf0.-3bc55cee.14d9e641ad8.-5d7d\", \"ipaChunks\": [{\"text\": \"\\u02c8di r\\u026a\\u02ccg\\u025b\\u02c8no\\u028as\", \"type\": \"text\", \"pointsTo\": \"u3bb48a285cbafaf0.-3bc55cee.14d9e641ad8.-5d7c\"}], \"spellChunks\": [{\"text\": \"dee\", \"type\": \"bold\", \"pointsTo\": \"u3bb48a285cbafaf0.-3bc55cee.14d9e641ad8.-5d7a\"}, {\"text\": \"-\", \"type\": \"text\"}, {\"text\": \"r\", \"type\": \"text\", \"pointsTo\": \"u3bb48a285cbafaf0.-3bc55cee.14d9e641ad8.-5d79\"}, {\"text\": \"i-ge-\", \"type\": \"text\"}, {\"text\": \"nohs\", \"type\": \"bold\", \"pointsTo\": \"u3bb48a285cbafaf0.-3bc55cee.14d9e641ad8.-5d78\"}]}, {\"text\": \"English\", \"type\": \"label_set\", \"pointsTo\": \"u3bb48a285cbafaf0.-3bc55cee.14d9e641ad8.-5d77\"}, {\"type\": \"pronunciation_group\", \"punc\": \"comma\", \"pointsTo\": \"u3bb48a285cbafaf0.-3bc55cee.14d9e641ad8.-5d75\", \"ipaChunks\": [{\"text\": \"\\u02c8d\\u0252m \\u0259\\u02ccni\", \"type\": \"text\", \"pointsTo\": \"u3bb48a285cbafaf0.-3bc55cee.14d9e641ad8.-5d74\"}], \"spellChunks\": [{\"text\": \"dom\", \"type\": \"bold\", \"pointsTo\": \"u3bb48a285cbafaf0.-3bc55cee.14d9e641ad8.-5d72\"}, {\"text\": \"-\", \"type\": \"text\"}, {\"text\": \"uh\", \"type\": \"emphasis\", \"pointsTo\": \"u3bb48a285cbafaf0.-3bc55cee.14d9e641ad8.-5d71\"}, {\"text\": \"-nee\", \"type\": \"text\"}]}, {\"type\": \"pronunciation_group\", \"pointsTo\": \"u3bb48a285cbafaf0.-3bc55cee.14d9e641ad8.-5d70\", \"ipaChunks\": [{\"text\": \"\\u02c8d\\u026ar \\u0259 d\\u0292i\\u02c8no\\u028as\", \"type\": \"text\", \"pointsTo\": \"u3bb48a285cbafaf0.-3bc55cee.14d9e641ad8.-5d6f\"}], \"spellChunks\": [{\"text\": \"dir\", \"type\": \"bold\", \"pointsTo\": \"u3bb48a285cbafaf0.-3bc55cee.14d9e641ad8.-5d6d\"}, {\"text\": \"-\", \"type\": \"text\"}, {\"text\": \"uh\", \"type\": \"emphasis\", \"pointsTo\": \"u3bb48a285cbafaf0.-3bc55cee.14d9e641ad8.-5d6c\"}, {\"text\": \"-jee-\", \"type\": \"text\"}, {\"text\": \"nohs\", \"type\": \"bold\", \"pointsTo\": \"u3bb48a285cbafaf0.-3bc55cee.14d9e641ad8.-5d6b\"}]}]}"},"relatedFormSets":[],"sensitiveNotes":[],"spellingNotes":[],"synonymStudy":[],"usageAlerts":[],"usageNotes":[],"variants":[],"verbPhrases":[]}],"url":"domine-dirige-nos"}]},"meta":{"arg":{"slug":"domine--dirige-nos"},"requestId":"zwJr7-LHTwbYdM5_RReHe","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}},{"type":"fetchResultsData/fulfilled","payload":{"data":{"url":"domine--dirige-nos","displayForm":"domine, dirige nos","canonicalSlug":"domine--dirige-nos","content":[{"source":"luna","entries":[{"id":"u3bb48a285cbafaf0.-3bc55cee.14d9e641ad8.-5d86","type":"normal","entry":"domine, dirige nos","entrySyllabified":"dom·i·ne, di·ri·ge nos","entryVariants":[],"homograph":null,"pronunciation":{"ipa":"ˈdoʊ mɪˌnɛ, ˈdi rɪˌgɛ ˈnoʊs; English ˈdɒm əˌni, ˈdɪr ə dʒi ˈnoʊs ","spell":"doh-mi-ne, dee-ri-ge -nohs; English dom-uh-nee, dir-uh-jee -nohs ","audio":{"audio/ogg":"https://static.sfdict.com/audio/lunawav/D04/D0451100.ogg","audio/mpeg":"https://static.sfdict.com/audio/D04/D0451100.mp3"}},"predefinitionContent":"","posBlocks":[{"definitions":[{"order":1,"type":"simple","predefinitionContent":"","postdefinitionContent":"","definition":"Master, guide us: motto of the city of London.","synonyms":"","antonyms":"","cites":[]}],"pos":"","posSupplementaryInfo":"Latin."}],"origin":null,"originData":null,"supplementaryNotes":[],"variantForms":[],"variantSpellings":[],"referenceData":[],"relatedForms":[],"confusables":[]}]}],"nearbyWordOrdinal":45716,"index-rank-01":["domine, dirige nos"],"index-rank-02":[],"index-rank-03":[],"index-rank-04":[],"index-rank-05":[],"index-rank-06":["dirige","domine","domine dirige nos"],"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":["domine-dirige-nos"],"complexityScore":0.4679683882677203,"gradeLevel":"high_school","tunaSlug":null,"isFeaturedMetaSlug":false}},"meta":{"arg":{"word":"domine--dirige-nos"},"requestId":"nG6u4xrqoZTwASCCzaYNE","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}},{"type":"fetchSpellSuggestions/fulfilled","payload":{"data":{"luna":["dirigo","dirge","tirage","drogue","drudge","dreg","Drug","drug","DRG","Doric","dire","dragée","dredge","droke","triage","diarize","diorite","drag","trig","Dirae","drive","Dirac","Drago","Drake","daric","drake","trig.","triga","trigo","trike","deride","derive","mirage","do-rag"],"tuna":["dominie","domino","domineer","domain","diming","dooming","damner","dine","dome","dominate","done","mine","domains","damn","do in","doing"],"lunaWithSlug":[{"displayForm":"dirigo","slug":"dirigo"},{"displayForm":"dirge","slug":"dirge"},{"displayForm":"tirage","slug":"tirage"},{"displayForm":"drogue","slug":"drogue"},{"displayForm":"drudge","slug":"drudge"},{"displayForm":"dreg","slug":"dreg"},{"displayForm":"Drug","slug":"drug"},{"displayForm":"drug","slug":"drug"},{"displayForm":"DRG","slug":"drg"},{"displayForm":"Doric","slug":"doric"},{"displayForm":"dire","slug":"dire"},{"displayForm":"dragée","slug":"dragee"},{"displayForm":"dredge","slug":"dredge"},{"displayForm":"droke","slug":"droke"},{"displayForm":"triage","slug":"triage"},{"displayForm":"diarize","slug":"diarize"},{"displayForm":"diorite","slug":"diorite"},{"displayForm":"drag","slug":"drag"},{"displayForm":"trig","slug":"trig"},{"displayForm":"Dirae","slug":"dirae"},{"displayForm":"drive","slug":"drive"},{"displayForm":"Dirac","slug":"dirac"},{"displayForm":"Drago","slug":"drago"},{"displayForm":"Drake","slug":"drake"},{"displayForm":"daric","slug":"daric"},{"displayForm":"drake","slug":"drake"},{"displayForm":"trig.","slug":"trig"},{"displayForm":"triga","slug":"triga"},{"displayForm":"trigo","slug":"trigo"},{"displayForm":"trike","slug":"trike"},{"displayForm":"deride","slug":"deride"},{"displayForm":"derive","slug":"derive"},{"displayForm":"mirage","slug":"mirage"},{"displayForm":"do-rag","slug":"do-rag"}],"tunaWithSlug":[{"displayForm":"dominie","slug":"dominie"},{"displayForm":"domino","slug":"domino"},{"displayForm":"domineer","slug":"domineer"},{"displayForm":"domain","slug":"domain"},{"displayForm":"diming","slug":"diming"},{"displayForm":"dooming","slug":"dooming"},{"displayForm":"damner","slug":"damner"},{"displayForm":"dine","slug":"dine"},{"displayForm":"dome","slug":"dome"},{"displayForm":"dominate","slug":"dominate"},{"displayForm":"done","slug":"done"},{"displayForm":"mine","slug":"mine"},{"displayForm":"domains","slug":"domains"},{"displayForm":"damn","slug":"damn"},{"displayForm":"do in","slug":"do%20in"},{"displayForm":"doing","slug":"doing"}]}},"meta":{"arg":{"word":"domine--dirige-nos"},"requestId":"AEsKGsQ1X3ytqf0snHo8L","requestStatus":"fulfilled"}}]},"actionData":null,"errors":null}

domine, dirige nos

Word of the Day