The word "sinuously" is spelled with the letter combination "sinu" followed by "ously". The "si" is pronounced as /saɪ/. The "nu" is pronounced as /nju/. These two sounds combine to form "nyu" sound like in the word "onion" or "canyon". The "ously" portion of the word is pronounced as /əsli/. "Sinuously" describes a movement or appearance that is characterized by smooth, curving lines or curves, just like the movements of a snake.
Sinuously is an adverb that describes something characterized by a winding or curving path or motion. It refers to a quality or mannerism that resembles the movements of a serpent or a snake. The term can be used in both literal and figurative contexts.
In a literal sense, sinuously suggests a physical movement that is marked by bending and twisting, typically with a graceful and fluid rhythm. For instance, a snake slithering across the ground or a river meandering through a landscape can be described as sinuously. This conveys the image of a winding or undulating motion that is smooth and seamless.
Figuratively, sinuously can be used to depict other entities or phenomena that exhibit a similar characteristic of winding or twisting. For example, a sinuously winding road through mountainous terrain evokes the image of a path that navigates through curves and turns. In a more abstract sense, sinuously can describe the flow of a piece of music, the brushstrokes in a painting, or the syntax of a beautifully written sentence.
Overall, sinuously denotes a quality of graceful and fluid movements or shapes, embodying both physical and abstract forms that are characterized by their winding or curving nature.
The word "sinuously" comes from the adjective form of the noun "sinuosity". "Sinuosity" itself is derived from the Latin word "sinuosus", meaning "full of curves" or "bending". This Latin term is derived from the verb "sinuare", meaning "to bend" or "to curve". Ultimately, the word can be traced back to the Proto-Indo-European root *pes- or *pesu-, which means "to step" or "to walk", suggesting a connection to the meaning of twisting or turning movements.