Word Study
ambages
CIDE DICTIONARY
ambages, n. pl. [L. (usually in pl.); pref. ambi-, amb- + agere to drive: cf. F. ambage.].
A circuit; a winding. Hence: Circuitous way or proceeding; quibble; circumlocution; indirect mode of speech. [1913 Webster]
"After many ambages, perspicuously define what this melancholy is." [1913 Webster]
THESAURUS
ambages
anfractuosity, bypass, circuit, circuitousness, circumambages, circumbendibus, circumlocution, circumvolution, convolution, crinkle, crinkling, detour, deviation, deviousness, digression, excursion, flexuosity, flexuousness, indirection, intorsion, involution, meander, meandering, obliqueness, periphrase, periphrasis, rivulation, roundabout, roundabout way, roundaboutness, sinuation, sinuosity, sinuousness, slinkiness, snakiness, torsion, tortility, tortuosity, tortuousness, turning, twisting, undulation, wave, waving, windingROGET THESAURUS
ambages
Diffuseness
N diffuseness, amplification, dilating, verbosity, verbiage, cloud of words, copia verborum, flow of words, looseness, Polylogy, tautology, battology, perissology, pleonasm, exuberance, redundancy, thrice-told tale, prolixity, circumlocution, ambages, periphrase, periphrasis, roundabout phrases, episode, expletive, pennya-lining, richness, diffuse, profuse, wordy, verbose, largiloquent, copious, exuberant, pleonastic, lengthy, longsome, long-winded, longspun, long drawn out, spun out, protracted, prolix, prosing, maundering, circumlocutory, periphrastic, ambagious, roundabout, digressive, discursive, excursive, loose, rambling episodic, flatulent, frothy, diffusely, at large, in extenso, about it and about it.Circuit
N circuit, roundabout way, digression, detour, circumbendibus, ambages, loop, winding, zigzag, circuitous, indirect, roundabout, zigzag, backhanded, by a side wind, by an indirect course, in a roundabout way, from pillar to post.Convolution
N convolution, winding, convolution, involution, circumvolution, wave, undulation, tortuosity, anfractuosity, sinuosity, sinuation, meandering, circuit, circumbendibus, twist, twirl, windings and turnings, ambages, torsion, inosculation, reticulation, rivulation, roughness, coil, roll, curl, buckle, spiral, helix, corkscrew, worm, volute, rundle, tendril, scollop, scallop, escalop, kink, ammonite, snakestone, serpent, eel, maze, labyrinth, knot, convoluted, winding, twisted, tortile, tortive, wavy, undated, undulatory, circling, snaky, snake-like, serpentine, serpent, anguill, vermiform, vermicular, mazy, tortuous, sinuous, flexuous, anfractuous, reclivate, rivulose, scolecoid, sigmoid, sigmoidal, spiriferous, spiroid, involved, intricate, complicated, perplexed, labyrinth, labyrinthic, labyrinthian, labyrinthine, peristaltic, daedalian, kinky, knotted, wreathy, frizzly, crepe, buckled, raveled, spiral, coiled, helical, cochleate, cochleous, screw-shaped, turbinated, turbiniform, in and out, round and round, a can of worms, Gordian knot.For further exploring for "ambages" in Webster Dictionary Online