helix
[ hee-liks ]
/ ˈhi lɪks /
noun, plural hel·i·ces [hel-uh-seez], /ˈhɛl əˌsiz/, he·lix·es.
a spiral.
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.
Architecture.
- a spiral ornament.
- (in a Corinthian capital) either of two scrolls issuing from a cauliculus.Compare Corinthian (def. 2).
Anatomy. the curved fold forming most of the rim of the external ear.
Biochemistry. alpha helix.
QUIZZES
CAN YOU GUESS THESE WORDS FROM AROUND THE US?
American English is not always as it appears to be ... get to know regional words in this quiz!
Question 1 of 10
A bet is synonymous with a wager, but what does it mean in New York?
Origin of helix
1555–65; <Latin: a spiral, a kind of ivy <Greek hélix anything twisted; compare helíssein to turn, twist, roll
Words nearby helix
helistop, helium, helium flash, helium I, helium II, helix, hell, hella, hellacious, Helladic, Hellas
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Example sentences from the Web for helix
British Dictionary definitions for helix
helix
/ (ˈhiːlɪks) /
noun plural helices (ˈhɛlɪˌsiːz) or helixes
a curve that lies on a cylinder or cone, at a constant angle to the line segments making up the surface; spiral
a spiral shape or form
the incurving fold that forms the margin of the external ear
another name for volute (def. 2)
any terrestrial gastropod mollusc of the genus Helix, which includes the garden snail (H. aspersa)
Word Origin for helix
C16: from Latin, from Greek: spiral; probably related to Greek helissein to twist
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Medical definitions for helix
helix
[ hē′lĭks ]
n. pl. he•lix•es
A spiral form or structure.
The folded rim of skin and cartilage around most of the outer ear.
A three-dimensional curve that lies on a cylinder or cone, so that its angle to a plane perpendicular to the axis is constant.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Scientific definitions for helix
helix
[ hē′lĭks ]
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.
Something, such as a strand of DNA, having a spiral shape.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Cultural definitions for helix
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.