/ ˈdiːviəs; NAmE / adjective
1.
behaving in a dishonest or indirect way, or tricking people, in order to get sth
SYN deceitful , underhand :
a devious politician
He got rich by devious means.
2.
devious route / path a route or path that is not straight but has many changes in direction; not direct :
a devious route from the airport
► de·vi·ous·ly adverb
► de·vi·ous·ness noun [ U ]
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WORD ORIGIN
late 16th cent.: from Latin devius (from de- away from + via way) + -ous . The original sense was remote ; the later sense departing from the direct route gave rise to the figurative sense deviating from the straight way and hence skilled in underhand tactics .