spiral spring
- noun
- Specialized
:
resorte en espiral
- The clock is powered by a tightly wound spiral spring that stores energy.
Examples
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The spiral spring is essential for the clock's mechanism.
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When the toy is wound up, its spiral spring releases energy to make it move.
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A broken spiral spring can cause the mechanism to malfunction.
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Many spiral springs are used in various mechanical devices.
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The watch's mechanism relies on a spiral spring to keep accurate time by storing and releasing energy.
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He replaced the broken spiral spring in the old clock to restore its functionality.
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The toy car uses a spiral spring to power its movement forward when wound up.
Synonyms
67
3.7
A piece of metal that returns to its shape after being pressed or pulled
1
3.9
A long metal wire shaped into a spiral that pushes back to absorb shock in cars or mattresses
A metal coil that absorbs shock and stores energy
How Coiled
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a spring made in a spiral shape' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'spiral' (coil- or helix-shaped) with 'spring' (a coiled metal part). This adj+noun compositional pattern is regular in English and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can reliably infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
Spiral spring comes from a wire wound in a flat spiral so the spring can be made tight to 'store' energy. When it is let go, it 'releases' that energy to make something turn or move, so the name shows its function.