English Explanatory Dictionary

spiral

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A curve that is the locus of a point that rotates about a fixed point while continuously increasing its distance from that point.
  2. A helix.
  3. A self-sustaining process with a lot of momentum involved, so it is difficult to accelerate or stop it at once.
  4. A section of track that forms a circle and crosses over itself, used for gaining height in mountainous territory.
adj
  1. Helical, like a spiral.
verb
  1. To move along the path of a spiral or helix.
  2. To cause something to spiral.
  3. To increase continually.
  4. To decline mentally.

Pronunciation

/ˈspaɪɹəl/ en-us-spiral.ogg /ˈspɑɪɹəl/

Word forms

spiral spirals spiraling spiralling spiraled spiralled

Etymology

From Middle French spirale, from Medieval Latin spiralis, from Latin spīra, from Ancient Greek σπεῖρα (speîra, “wreath, coil, twist”).

Synonyms

swirl billow gyrate spire

Related words

aspirin spirea

Derived words

annulospiral antispiral Archimedean spiral arithmetic spiral barred spiral galaxy bispiral counterspiral death spiral defensive spiral downward spiral Ekman spiral equiangular spiral Fibonacci spiral flocculent spiral galaxy genetic spiral golden spiral graveyard spiral herb spiral inflationary spiral inspiral Knochenhauer spiral Langmuir spiral logarithmic spiral Magellanic spiral minispiral multispiral nonspiral paucispiral planispiral purity spiral quadrispiral red spiral galaxy Riess spiral semispiral spiral arm spiral-bound spiralbound spiral cleavage spiral dance spiral dive spiral DRAGN spiral fries spiral galaxy spiral ganglion spiral ginger spiralglass Spiralia spiralian spiraliform spiralise spiralism spiralist spirality spiralization spiralize spirallike spirally spiral nebula spiral of Archimedes spiral out
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