labyrinthine

Labyrinthine is an adjective with several related but distinct senses. In general use, it describes something that resembles or relates to a labyrinth—a maze—emphasizing complexity, convolution, or detour-filled structure. The term is often applied to processes, systems, or narratives to suggest that they are difficult to navigate or understand, such as a labyrinthine bureaucracy or a labyrinthine plot.

Etymology traces the word to the Greek labyrinthos, via Latin and Old French, ultimately linked to the famous myth of Daedalus and the Minotaur. The image of a winding, intricate network has made labyrinthine a common metaphor for anything that is not straightforward.

In anatomy, labyrinthine refers to the inner ear, which contains the bony and membranous labyrinths. The inner-ear labyrinth comprises structures such as the cochlea, vestibule, and semicircular canals, which together support hearing and balance. Terms like labyrinthine artery or labyrinthitis pertain to this region, describing vessels supplying the inner ear or inflammation of it. The anatomical sense of the term underscores a physical, maze-like arrangement of interconnected parts rather than metaphorical complexity.

Overall, labyrinthine can function as a precise scientific descriptor in anatomy or as a broader literary and rhetorical one to characterize anything notably intricate or maze-like.