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helix

[ hee-liks ]
/ ˈhi lɪks /
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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.
  1. a spiral ornament.
  2. (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.
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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. 2023

Words related to helix

braid, tendril, arc, arch, contour, loop, trajectory, screw, tangle, curve, flourish, bight, circle, convolution, corkscrew, curlicue, gyration, involution, lap, ring

How to use helix in a sentence

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

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

helix
[ (hee-liks) ]

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

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.
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