sinuous

Also found in: Thesaurus, Medical, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.

sin·u·ous

(sĭn′yo͞o-əs)

adj.

1. Characterized by many curves or turns; winding: a sinuous stream.

2. Characterized by supple and lithe movements: the sinuous grace of a dancer.

3. Sinuate: a sinuous leaf.

[From Latin sinuōsus, from sinus, curve.]

sin′u·ous·ly adv.

sin′u·ous·ness n.

sinuous

(ˈsɪnjʊəs)

adj

1. full of turns or curves; intricate

2. devious; not straightforward

3. supple; lithe

Also: sinuate

[C16: from Latin sinuōsus winding, from sinus a curve]

ˈsinuously adv

ˈsinuousness n

sin•u•ous

(ˈsɪn yu əs)

adj.

1. having many curves or turns; winding: a sinuous path.

2. characterized by graceful curving motions: a sinuous dance.

3. Bot. sinuate, as a leaf.

[1570–80; < Latin sinuōsus. See sinus, -ous]

sin′u•ous•ly, adv.

sin′u•ous•ness, n.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Switch to new thesaurus

Adj.

sinuous - curved or curving in and out; "wiggly lines"

sinuate, wiggly

curved, curving - having or marked by a curve or smoothly rounded bend; "the curved tusks of a walrus"; "his curved lips suggested a smile but his eyes were hard"

sinuous

adjective (Literary)

1. supple, flexible, lithe, graceful, agile, slinky, limber, pliable, pliant, lissom(e), loose-jointed, loose-limbed the sinuous approach of a snake

2. curving, winding, meandering, crooked, coiling, tortuous, undulating, serpentine, curvy, lithe, twisty, mazy I drove along sinuous mountain roads.

sinuous

adjective

Repeatedly curving in alternate directions:

anfractuous, flexuous, meandrous, serpentine, snaky, tortuous, winding.

Translations

contorto curva sinuosit...sinuoso

sinuoso

sinuous

[ˈsɪnjʊəs] ADJ (gen) → sinuoso; [road] → serpenteante, con muchos rodeos

sinuous

[ˈsɪnjʊəs] adj

[movement, walk, grace] → sinueux/euse

[road, river] → sinueux/euse

sinuous

adj (lit, fig) → gewunden; motion of snake → schlängelnd attr; dancing etc → geschmeidig, schlangenartig; the river follows a sinuous course through the trees → der Fluss windet sich or schlängelt sich zwischen den Bäumen hindurch

sinuous

[ˈsɪnjʊəs] adj (course, route) → sinuoso/a, tortuoso/a; (dance, movement) → flessuoso/a

sinuous

a. sinuoso-a, ondulado-a.

References in classic literature ?

Even the Ape-man lacked that inward sinuous curve of the back which makes the human figure so graceful.

View in context

His hand was reaching upward for the stern when I saw a sleek, sinuous body shoot from the depths below.

View in context

Several minutes passed, and, just as abruptly the apparition reappeared--not alone the head this time, but the entire sinuous form as it glided into the room and came to rest in the middle of the floor.

View in context

Low growls vibrated his heavy jowls and his great rage transmitted to his sinuous tail a sharp, whiplike motion; but realizing from past experience the futility of long distance argument with the ape-man, he turned presently and struck off into the tangled vegetation which hid him from the view of his tormentor.

View in context

Avoiding the obstructions gave it the sinuous movement of a serpent.

View in context

You have noticed, of course, the peculiar sinuous way in which Lady Arabella moves--well, I feel certain that the white thing that I saw in the wood was the mistress of Diana's Grove!"

View in context

First it was her arms that wound themselves about my neck, long, sinuous, and supple as the tentacles of some vile monster; then, as I struggled, her thumbs were on my windpipe like pads of steel.

View in context

We moved along the sinuous gravel walks, with the great concourse of girls and young men, and suddenly a domed and filigreed white temple, starred over and over and over again with brilliant gas jets, burst upon us like a fallen sun.

View in context

They are ten or twelve feet in height when standing erect; their arms are very short and fashioned after the manner of an elephant's trunk, being sinuous; the body is hairless and ghoulish blue except for a broad band of white which encircles the protruding, single eye, the pupil, iris and ball of which are dead white.

View in context

Here the ape-man unloosed his grass rope from about his neck, and as Numa stood above the body of the boar, challenging head erect, he dropped the sinuous noose about the maned neck, drawing the stout strands taut with a sudden jerk.

View in context

Instead a lusty cry for greater speed ahead urged the sinuous muscles gliding beneath the sleek brown hides; and when Muda Saffir rose to the surface with a cry for help upon his lips Ninaka shouted back to him in derision, consigning his carcass to the belly of the nearest crocodile.

View in context

She walked stiffly--for the moment she had lost the sinuous grace of movement which had been one of her many fascinations.