spiral
38
3.8
- adjective
- /ˈspaɪrəl/
- Flight 77 makes its final maneuver, turning 330 degrees in a spiral turn.
- spiral pattern
- spiral galaxy
- spiral arms
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Watch on YouTubeWow, that is a spiral curl.
- Wow, that is a spiral curl.
- Through this space to their passes a spiral staircase which winds upward and downward into the remotest distance.
- Far out in the uncharted backwaters of the unfashionable end of the western spiral arm of the Galaxy lies a small, unregarded yellow sun.
Examples
-
Let me show you the spiral staircases here.
-
In Lee's room, she spotted a spiral notebook on the desk.
Fiction book (1992) -
I'll take the spiral route.
-
After about one complete revolution, the spiral arm's path becomes a circular ring.
Academic text (1992) -
I just wanna stay in the spiral staircase.
-
And at night, in a spiral notebook, I wrote down the evidence.
Fiction book (1997) -
The DNA has the spiral helical form.
-
At the top of one of the spiral staircases, we found a drinking fountain.
-
These are the spiral trails left by subatomic particles moving through liquid hydrogen in the presence of a magnetic field.
-
The artist painted a beautiful spiral pattern on the canvas, showcasing her unique style.
Synonyms
16
4.3
Shaped like tight rings or spirals
7
3.9
Having curved lines or patterns that twist and flow
2
6.7
In the shape of a spiral, like a twisted staircase
2
4.8
Something that winds around a center like a snail shell
1
9.7
Coiled tightly, like a shell that hides its center
1
4.4
Has a spiral shape like a snake or rope
1
8.6
Arranged in a circle or spiral around a plant stem
1
9.0
Shaped like a spiral that turns around a center
1
6.1
A round shape with spiral arms like a child's pinwheel
1
8.9
A spiral that winds around a central line
1
9.2
Something that has a spiral or coil shape for decoration
1
7.9
Moving in a circular or spiral way
1
9.0
A thing that is coiled in a spiral like a snail shell
Shaped like a spiral, for example a snail shell
Compounds
- Specialized
6
5.9
A large group of stars with a bright center and curved arms that wind outward
3
1.9
A notebook with a metal or plastic wire along one side that lets pages turn easily
- Specialized
1
9.5
A situation when falling prices and wages cause more falls and make the economy worse
- Archaic
1
8.1
A large group of stars in a flat spiral shape with arms of young stars around an older centre
- Specialized
1
8.4
A hand tool that turns screws when you press its spiral handle down
- Specialized
1
4.9
A wire coiled into a spiral that stores and releases energy to make things turn
- Specialized
A strip of cloth wrapped in overlapping turns around a limb like an arm
How Coiled
Surface Forms
Etymology
Spiral comes from the Latin word spira and the Greek speira, both meaning 'coil' or 'twist'. If something is described as 'spiral' it has a coiled, winding shape, like a staircase or a snail shell.