עֲקַלָּתוֹן m. (b. h.; preced. wds.) tortuousness; דרך ע׳ in a round about way, indirectly. Y. Dem. IV, 24ᵃ top מהו שישאלנו דרך ע׳ may one ask him indirectly (so as to give him an opportunity to confess his omission without compromising himself)?
[[. - עָקַם (cmp. עקב) 1) to curve, wind. Y. Erub. II, 20ᵃ bot. כל מה שהפרה פושטת … הגמל עוֹקֵם וכ׳ whereas the cow stretches her neck out straight, the camel turns his neck. Lev. R. s. 10, v. infra. Lam. R. to II, 8 עוקם את חוטמו turns up his nose (at the bad odor).—Meïl. 17ᵇ ע׳ פיו ר׳ אליעזר וכ׳ R. El.… curved his mouth (pouted speaking in an undertone, v. עֲקִימָה). —2) to circumvent, supersede, v. עָקַב.
Pi. - עִיקֵּם to curve, wind; to make a circuit. Y. Yoma VI, 44ᵇ bot. שלשים … והיה מְעַקְּמוֹ וכ׳ the priest’s belt was thirty-two cubits long, and he wound it this way and that; Lev. R. s. 10 ועוקמו לפניו ולאחוריו (read: ועִיקְּמוֹ); Cant. R. to IV, 4 (not מעמקו). Gen. R. s. 50 (ref. to סורו, Gen. XIX, 2) אפי׳ איני כדאי עַקְּמוּ עלי את הדרך though I be not worthy (of your visit), go out of your way on my account; ib. עקמו עלי את הדרך כדי שלא תהיו נראים וכ׳ take a circuitous route in coming to me, that you may not be seen going to me. Gen. R. s. 32 ע׳ הקב"ה שתים וכ׳ the Lord (Bible text) uses a circumlocution of two or three words (writes two or three words where one would have been sufficient) in order to avoid the word ‘unclean’; Pes. 3ᵃ; Lev. R. s. 26, beg.; a. e.—Part. pass. מְעוּקָּם; f. מְעוּקֶּמֶת tortuous; tricky. Y. Erub. V, 22ᵈ top היה הנחל מע׳ if the wady meandered. Tanḥ. Vaëra 4 מה הנחש הולך מע׳ אף המלכות מְעַקֶּמֶת דרכיה as the serpent moves in tortuous lines, so the government winds its ways; כשם שהנחש מע׳ אף פרעה מע׳ as the serpent is cunning, so is Pharaoh cunning; Ex. R. s. 9; a. e.