helix

American  

[hee-liks] / ˈhi lɪks /

noun

helices, plural helixes plural

1. a spiral.

2. Geometry. the curve formed by a straight line drawn on a plane when that plane is wrapped around a cylindrical surface of any kind, especially a right circular cylinder, as the curve of a screw. Equation: x = a sinθ, y = a cosθ, z = b θ.

3. Architecture.

   1. a spiral ornament.

   2. (in a Corinthian capital) either of two scrolls issuing from a cauliculus.

4. Anatomy. the curved fold forming most of the rim of the external ear.

5. Biochemistry. alpha helix.

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helix British  

/ ˈhiːlɪks /

noun

1. a curve that lies on a cylinder or cone, at a constant angle to the line segments making up the surface; spiral

2. a spiral shape or form

3. the incurving fold that forms the margin of the external ear

4. another name for volute

5. any terrestrial gastropod mollusc of the genus Helix, which includes the garden snail ( H. aspersa )

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helix Scientific  

/ hē′lĭks /

1. A three-dimensional spiral curve. In mathematical terms, a helix can be described as a curve turning about an axis on the surface of a cylinder or cone while rising at a constant upward angle from a base.

2. Something, such as a strand of DNA, having a spiral shape.

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helix Cultural  

1. In geometry, a three-dimensional spiral shape, resembling a spring.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• helices
  plural
• helixes
  plural

Etymology

Origin of helix

1555–65; < Latin: a spiral, a kind of ivy < Greek hélix anything twisted; compare helíssein to turn, twist, roll

Explanation

A helix is a twisted, spiral shape, like a corkscrew. In math, a helix is defined as "a curve in three-dimensional space." If you have ever seen a spiral staircase, you can envision the shape of a helix. To picture the shape of a helix, imagine the coil of a spring inside a sofa, or the shape the threads of a screw make, curling in a spiral. When you hear the word helix, you may think of a double helix, which resembles two interconnected spirals and describes the shape of human DNA. In both Latin and Greek, helix means "spiral" or "spiral-shaped thing."

Example Sentences

On Reddit, another user responding to the news said Xbox "may as well just cancel" its upcoming console Helix "because no one will be able to afford it".

From BBC • Jun. 27, 2026

What’s Next: Former Amazon Web Services CEO Adam Selipsky is leading Helix, and Waldemar Szlezak, KKR’s global head of digital infrastructure, will serve as Helix’s chief investment officer.

From Barron's • Jun. 12, 2026

Following the closing of founding commitments, Helix is open to additional institutional investors.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 11, 2026

The recent announcement that Microsoft's Xbox division was working on a new console, code-named Project Helix, showed, she said at the time, the "commitment to the return of Xbox".

From BBC • Apr. 22, 2026

There are various sorts which are peculiar to particular spots; for instance, at Gayhurst, in Buckinghamshire, the Helix Pomœria were there turned down for the use of Lady Venetia Digby when in a weak state.

From The Cries of London Exhibiting Several of the Itinerant Traders of Antient and Modern Times by Smith, John Thomas

Related Words

• arc
• arch
• contour
• loop
• trajectory