sinuate

[ adjective sin-yoo-it, -eyt, verb sin-yoo-eyt ]

adjective

1. bent in and out; winding; sinuous.
2. Botany. having the margin strongly or distinctly wavy, as a leaf.

verb (used without object)

, sin·u·at·ed, sin·u·at·ing.

1. to curve or wind in and out; creep in a winding path:

   a snake sinuating along the ground.

sinuate

/ -ˌeɪt; ˈsɪnjʊɪt /

adjective

1. Alsosinuous (of leaves) having a strongly waved margin
2. another word for sinuous

Derived Forms

• ˈsinuately, adverb

Other Words From

• sinu·ate·ly adverb
• un·sinu·ate adjective
• un·sinu·ate·ly adverb
• un·sinu·ated adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of sinuate¹

First recorded in 1680–90; from Latin sinuātus, past participle of sinuāre “to bend, curve”; sinus, -ate ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of sinuate¹

C17: from Latin sinuātus curved; see sinus , -ate ¹

Example Sentences

Leaves obovate, sinuate and toothed; lower joint of the fruit obovoid, emarginate; the upper ovate, flattish at the apex.—Coast of the Northern States and of the Great Lakes.

From Project Gutenberg

Soft-hairy all over, truly prostrate; leaflets orbicular, or the odd one slightly rhomboid; flowers purple; pods almost equally sinuate on both edges, 3–5-jointed; the joints rhomboid-oval.—Dry rocky woods, N. Eng. to Fla., west to Minn., Mo., and La. Var. glabràtum, Gray, is almost glabrous, otherwise nearly as the ordinary form.—Mass. and N. Y.

From Project Gutenberg

Biennial; leaves decurrent, sinuate, spiny; heads solitary, drooping; flowers purple.—Fields near Harrisburg, Pa., Prof. Porter.

From Project Gutenberg

Thallus dichotomous, proliferous, the early divisions linear-oblong, the margins ascending and remotely sinuate, the later divisions linear-palmatifid, coarsely nerved; cells large, hexagonal; involucre ciliate-fringed or lacerate; calyptra smooth, included.—Wet limestones and shales.

From Project Gutenberg

Thallus 1–2´ long, decumbent or ascending, fleshy, linear-oblong, simple or slightly lobed, the margin sinuate; diœcious; involucre short, lacerate; calyptra cylindric, smooth; capsule brownish, furrowed; antheridia in 2-lobed receptacles.—Wet banks, N. J. to Ohio, and southward.

From Project Gutenberg