Word of the Day

: August 4, 2021

flexuous

adjective FLEK-shuh-wus

What It Means

1 : having curves, turns, or windings

2 : lithe or fluid in action or movement

flexuous in Context

The last leg of the trail is a flexuous path leading up the mountain to a spectacular panoramic view of the valley.

"This pine [the longleaf pine] is not confused (or at least shouldn't be) with any other tree: the combination of long, flexuous needles (in 3's), whitened-silvery buds, and large cones make it distinctive in the Southeast, although in some cases our native slash pine looks similar." — John Nelson, Post & Courier (Charleston, South Carolina), 18 Mar. 2021

Did You Know?

Flexuous is a synonym of curvy. It is typically used in botany to describe plant stems that aren't rigid. But don't let that tendency deflect you from occasionally employing this ultimately quite flexible word. Stemming straight from Latin flectere, meaning "to bend," it can also mean "undulating" or "fluid." It might, for example, be used of writing or music, or of something or someone that moves with a fluid sort of grace.