sinuous

adjective

sin·​u·​ous ˈsin-yə-wəs How to pronounce sinuous (audio)
-yü-əs
1
a
: of a serpentine or wavy form : winding
b
: marked by strong lithe movements
2
sinuously adverb
sinuousness noun

Did you know?

Although it probably makes you think more of snakes than head colds, sinuous is etymologically more like sinus than serpent. Sinuous and sinus both derive from the Latin noun sinus, which means "curve, fold, or hollow." Other sinus descendants include insinuate ("to impart or suggest in an artful or indirect way") and two terms you might remember from math class: sine and cosine. In English, sinus is the oldest of these words; it entered the language in the 1400s. Insinuate appeared next, in the early 1500s, and was followed by sinuous and sine in the latter half of the 1500s, and cosine in the 1600s. Serpent, by the way, entered English in the 13th century and comes from the Latin verb serpere, meaning "to creep."

Examples of sinuous in a Sentence

She moved with sinuous grace. the river flowed in a sinuous path through the lush valley
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The coat also include sharp lapels and a sinuous collar. Julia Teti, WWD, 7 Feb. 2025 Ackermann, like Ford, is one of fashion’s dramatists, deftly wielding strong shoulders, sinuous draping, and an audacious use of rich color in both his women’s and men’s work, an approach that garnered him the adoration of the likes of Tilda Swinton, Timothée Chalamet—and, clearly, Mr. Ford. Mark Holgate, Vogue, 6 Feb. 2025 The chair features a supportive sinuous spring seat with a plush and comfy cushion. Megan Schaltegger, People.com, 23 Jan. 2025 To cushion their sinuous eucalyptus forms, the duo came up with their own spin on traditional Banarasi fabric: an archival herringbone motif overlaid with numerical zeros that nod to Brahmagupta, the Hindu mathematician who developed the concept of nothingness in 628 AD. Mel Studach, Architectural Digest, 21 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for sinuous 

Word History

Etymology

Latin sinuosus, from sinus

First Known Use

1578, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of sinuous was in 1578

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Dictionary Entries Near sinuous

Cite this Entry

“Sinuous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sinuous. Accessed 16 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

sinuous

adjective
sin·​u·​ous ˈsin-yə-wəs How to pronounce sinuous (audio)
: of a snakelike or wavy form : winding
sinuously adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on sinuous

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