† cringle-cranglen.adj.adv.
Obsolete (English regional (northern) in later use).
A. n.
A zigzag; a mass of twists and turns. Also figurative.
ΘΚΠ
the world > space > shape > curvature > series of curves > [noun] > winding curve(s)
folda1250
windinga1387
wrinkling1387
revolution?a1425
wrinkle1430
crink1567
crank1572
cringle-crangle1573
crinkle1596
crankle1598
crinkle-crankle1598
meander1603
anfractuosity1612
ins and outs1655
sinuationa1676
insinuationa1684
anfractus1719
sinuosity1720
flexuosity1737
evolution1765
cringle1808
wriggle1825
voluminosity1841
squiggle1902
1573 J. Bridges Supremacie Christian Princes 813 This argument is intricate, and full of many inuersed cringle crangles.
1688 Head's Eng. Rogue (new ed.) iv. xxiii. 196 I had prepared a great deal of scribble or cringle-crangle, and so from thence began to take the height of her Fortune.
1739 Poor Robin sig. C8 When Don Phœbus enters that cringle-crangle which the rablars would have to be a pair of heavenly scales.
B. adj. (and adv.)
Winding in and out; having twists and turns; twisted. Also as adv.
ΘΚΠ
the world > space > shape > curvature > series of curves > [adjective] > having many or winding curves
tortivous14..
anfractuous?a1425
tortuous1426
tortuea1500
snakish1532
winding1538
wormy1545
boughty1570
wriggled1572
sinuous1578
serpent-likea1586
crankled1594
serpent1597
snaky1600
flexuous1605
snaking1605
cringle-crangle1606
voluminous1611
serpenting?1614
serpentine1615
curvy1623
serpentizing1628
worming1631
lacinious1648
anguineous1656
anguine1657
anfractuose1680
twisting1683
vermicular1712
worm-like1721
flexuose1727
meandering1748
crinkum-crankum1766
serpentiform1777
serpentining1799
anguiform1800
ophite1828
tortuose1829
cranky1836
sinuose1836
serpentile1857
twisty1857
sinuated1859
vermiculatea1864
twinyc1868
tortive1880
crinkle-crankle1881
serpentinous1882
quirky1890
twistical1890
waggly1894
wriggly1901
squiggly1902
wiggly1903
contortionate1911
wig-waggy1914
curvaceous1965
the world > space > shape > curvature > series of curves > [adverb] > in many or winding curves
wrinklingly1387
cringle-crangle1781
crinkle-crankle1804
vermicularly1812
flexuously1846
sinuously1847
meanderingly1865
serpentiningly1871
sinuosely1874
sinuous1885
meandrically1886
1606 G. Chapman Gentleman Vsher i. sig. A4v The busky groues..With cringle crangle hornes do ring alowd.
1781 J. Hutton Tour to Caves (ed. 2) Gloss. 88/2 Cringle-crangle.., zig-zag.
1869 J. C. Atkinson Peacock's Gloss. Dial. Hundred of Lonsdale Cring'l-crang'l, zig-zag.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, November 2010; most recently modified version published online December 2020).
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n.adj.adv.1573