ambagiousadj.
/amˈbeɪdʒəs/, U.S. /æmˈbeɪdʒəs/ Chiefly literary. Now rare (chiefly in historical contexts).
1. Of language, writing, or thought: characterized by (verbose) indirectness; circumlocutory, roundabout; (formerly also) †deceptive (obsolete). Also of a person: that uses such language.In quot. 1844 humorous, as an example of an obscure, literary word.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > hiding, concealing from view > keeping from knowledge > indirect action or process > [adjective]
collateralc1374
ambagious?1532
indirect1584
circular1617
squint1619
squinting1648
sidelong1654
circumferentiala1661
circuitous1664
side wind1672
side-winded1696
roundabout1701
side-handed1828
society > leisure > the arts > literature > style of language or writing > copiousness > [adjective] > periphrastic or circumlocutory
ambagious?1532
periphrasticala1638
circumlatory1639
ambagical1652
ambitious1656
circumlocutory1659
roundabout1704
periphrastic1776
ambagitory1814
circumambagious1834
ambaginous1838
circumambulatory1842
circumlocutionary1863
circumlocutional1865
?1532 Tales & Quicke Answeres xxxii. 30 The ambagious tale greued the popes holynes to here it out.
1615 T. Adams Mystical Bedlam 72 That..enigmaticall, epicene, spurious, and abortiue equiuocation, is the mayne accent of their speeches: an ambiguous, ambagious, couzening voice.
1682 H. More Annot. Disc. Truth 176 in Two Choice & Useful Treat. A more operose and ambagious inference.
1785 European Mag. Jan. 48/2 If we were to look upon Nestor as having a quarter of the interesting circumlocution of ambagious Nugent.
1844 S. K. Hoshour Lett. to Esq. Pedant ix. 26 The preludious part of his apertion of the accrimination was ambagious and catachrestical.
1991 R. Coover Pinocchio in Venice xxiii. 255 Blind in all her two eyes, excellency, from too much devotion to the noble battologies of your ambagious texts.
2. Of a path, way, or course: winding, circuitous. Chiefly figurative and in figurative contexts.
ΘΚΠ
society > travel > means of travel > route or way > way, path, or track > [adjective] > winding
ambagious1592
zigzagging1827
bendy1885
winding1890
screwy1891
windy1972
1592 R. Dallington tr. F. Colonna Hypnerotomachia f. 28v I conueighed my fearefull bodie..into the inward part of the darke places, penetrating through..ambagious passages [It. ambagedi meati] and vnknowne waies.
1745 D. Noble Let. to People Great Brit. & Ireland 19 This Maze of ignorant Devotion, which becomes inaccessible by its many ambagious Deflections from the plain Path of Truth.
1834 Philomathesian Feb. 252 Its [sc. science's] course has indeed been ambagious.
1987 Hist. in Afr. 14 352 A cogent overview of the ambagious trails followed by the early manuscripts of the Diario.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2019; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
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adj.?1532