tortile

[ tawr-til ]

adjective

1. twisted; coiled.

tortile

/ ˈtɔːtaɪl; tɔːˈtɪlɪtɪ /

adjective

1. rare.
   twisted or coiled

Derived Forms

• tortility, noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of tortile¹

1650–60; < Latin tortilis , equivalent to tort ( us ) twisted ( tort ) + -ilis -ile

Word History and Origins

Origin of tortile¹

C17: from Latin tortilis winding, from tortus twisted, from torquēre to twist

Example Sentences

Marilyn Monroe’s eye-catching gait is more tortile and wambling than ever.

From Time

A. Orcuttianum, Gray, is a similar species, but more slender, with fewer and smaller flowers, whose lower lip is not much larger than the upper, and whose flower-spikes are disposed to have the tortile branchlets in their midst.

From Project Gutenberg

Tortile, tor′til, adj. twisted: wreathed: coiled.—n.

From Project Gutenberg

Itch is beautifully mounted in De Luxe-color CinemaScope, and Marilyn Monroe's eye-catching gait is more tortile and wambling than ever.

From Time Magazine Archive

Related Words

• curved
• curving
• devious
• errant
• gnarled
• meandering
• serpentine
• sinuous
• twisted
• twisting
• winding