Word of the Day

: February 27, 2011

circuitous

adjective ser-KYOO-uh-tus

What It Means

1 : having a circular or winding course

2 : not being forthright or direct in language or action

circuitous in Context

Jenn came up with the same answer I did, but her method was more circuitous, so I showed her how she could do the problem a lot faster.

"The splashy DeSean Jackson and the serene Jeremy Maclin are the Eagles' starting wide receivers. They could be called the Sod Couple, because both young receivers make big plays. But that's where the similarities really end. Jackson flops and detours along the goal line on his circuitous route to the end zone. Maclin goes straight in for six points, face first and as fast as he can." -- From an article in the Courier-Post (Cherry Hill, New Jersey), December 24, 2010

Did You Know?

If you guessed that "circuitous" is related to "circuit," you're right -- both words come from Latin "circuitus," the past participle of the verb "circumire," meaning "to go around." "Circumire" is derived in turn from Latin "circum," meaning "around," plus "ire," which means “to go.” Other "circum" descendants making the rounds in English include "circumference" ("the perimeter of a circle"), "circumvent" (one meaning of which is "to make a circuit around"), "circumlocution" (the act of "talking around" a subject), and "circumnavigate" ("to go around"). There's also the prefix "circum-," which means "around" or "about," and the familiar word "circumstance," which describes a condition or event that "stands around" another.