Wordwyrt

insinuate

/ˌɪnˈsɪnjuːeɪt/in-SIN-yoo-ayt
/ˌɪnˈsɪnjueɪt/in-SIN-yoo-ayt

Meaningto wind in

Common meaning: to hint at something unpleasant

‘in, into’ + ‘a bend, curve’ → insinuate

Journey through time

  1. Latinsinus‘a bend, curve’
  2. Englishinsinuate‘to hint at something unpleasant’ · today

in- also in: incestinciteinduceinfamyinfant

sinu also in: sinussinuous

Sources & notes

Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.

Pronunciation

  • UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
  • No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
  • US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
  • No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.

Origin: Built on Latin sinus ‘a bend, curve; a fold’.

Did you know: our wording, based on Lewis & Short, Latin Dictionary (1879), entry sinus, p. 1709 · dictionary scan

Roots

  • sinus Latin “a bend, curve; a fold”

Related words

sinuoussinus

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