English Meaning & Definitions
A curve which emanates from a central point, getting progressively farther away as it revolves around the point.
- “The shell of the snail formed a perfect, delicate spiral.”
- “She drew a spiral on the notepad while listening to the long conference call.”
To move in a winding or coiled course; to increase or decrease rapidly and continuously.
- “The eagle began to spiral downward toward its prey.”
- “Prices continued to spiral out of control during the period of hyperinflation.”
Winding in a continuous and gradually widening (or tightening) curve.
- “The staircase featured a beautiful spiral design made of wrought iron.”
- “He used a spiral notebook for his daily journaling.”
Comprehensive Thesaurus Breakdown
Compare formal, informal, literary synonyms and register nuances for “spiral”.
Derived from the Late Latin 'spiralis', meaning 'coiling', which comes from the Greek 'speira', meaning 'a coil, twist, or fold'. It entered Middle English via Old French, retaining the sense of a continuous winding curve.
Think of a 'spy' climbing a 'rail' that winds around a tower in a circular, twisting motion.
Frequently Asked Questions About “spiral”
1. What is the meaning of “spiral” in English?
In English, spiral (noun) is defined as: “A curve which emanates from a central point, getting progressively farther away as it revolves around the point.”.
2. How do you use “spiral” in a sentence?
“The shell of the snail formed a perfect, delicate spiral.”
4. What is the etymology and word origin of “spiral”?
Derived from the Late Latin 'spiralis', meaning 'coiling', which comes from the Greek 'speira', meaning 'a coil, twist, or fold'. It entered Middle English via Old French, retaining the sense of a continuous winding curve.
🇬🇧More English Words to English
View all English words →The base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), equal to the duration of 9,192,631,770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the caesium-133 atom.
A specific duration of time equal to one hour and forty-six minutes and twelve seconds.
The cardinal number equal to one thousand million (1,000,000,000), expressed in scientific notation as 10^9.
A specific duration of time equivalent to one hour and forty-six minutes.