Anfractuosity
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 A winding channel or crevice, such as occur in the depths of the sea or in mountains. countable, uncountable
"Here endeth the doctrine of the right-angled sphericalls, the whole diatyposis wherof is in the Equisolea or hippocrepidian diagram, whose most intricate amfractuosities, renvoys, various mixture of analogies, and perturbat situation of proportionall termes, cannot choose but be pervious to the understanding of any judicious reader that hath perused this comment aright."
- 2 One of the fissures (sulci) separating the convolutions of the brain, or, by analogy, in the mind. countable, uncountable
"The vayne goeth aboue the artier, but not right lyne as other parts doe, but in anfractuosities, like unto a Woodbine."
Example
More examples"Here endeth the doctrine of the right-angled sphericalls, the whole diatyposis wherof is in the Equisolea or hippocrepidian diagram, whose most intricate amfractuosities, renvoys, various mixture of analogies, and perturbat situation of proportionall termes, cannot choose but be pervious to the understanding of any judicious reader that hath perused this comment aright."
Etymology
From Latin anfractuosus (“winding”).
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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.