spiral

American  

[spahy-ruhl] / ˈspaɪ rəl /

noun

• spirals
  plural

1. Geometry. a plane curve generated by a point moving around a fixed point while constantly receding from or approaching it.

2. a helix.

3. a single circle or ring of a spiral or helical curve or object.

4. a spiral or helical object, formation, or form.

5. Aeronautics. a maneuver in which an airplane descends in a helix of small pitch and large radius, with the angle of attack within that of the normal flight range.

6. Football. a type of kick or pass in which the ball turns on its longer axis as it flies through the air.

7. Economics. a continuous increase in costs, wages, prices, etc. inflationary spiral, or a decrease in costs, wages, prices, etc. deflationary spiral.

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adjective

1. running continuously around a fixed point or center while constantly receding from or approaching it; coiling in a single plane.

   a spiral curve.

2. coiling around a fixed line or axis in a constantly changing series of planes; helical.

3. of or of the nature of a spire or coil.

4. bound with a spiral binding; spiral-bound.

   a spiral notebook.

verb (used without object)

• spirals,
  present (3rd person singular)
• spiraled,
  past participle,  past
• spiralled,
  past participle,  past (especially British)
• spiraling,
  present participle
• spiralling
  present participle (especially British)

1. to take a spiral form or course.

2. to advance or increase steadily; rise.

   Costs have been spiraling all year.

3. Aeronautics. to fly an airplane through a spiral course.

verb (used with object)

• spirals,
  present (3rd person singular)
• spiraled,
  past participle,  past
• spiralled,
  past participle,  past (especially British)
• spiraling,
  present participle
• spiralling
  present participle (especially British)

1. to cause to take a spiral form or course.

spiral British  

/ ˈspaɪərəl /

noun

1. geometry one of several plane curves formed by a point winding about a fixed point at an ever-increasing distance from it. Polar equation of Archimedes spiral: r = a θ; of logarithmic spiral: log r = a θ; of hyperbolic spiral: r θ = a, (where a is a constant)

2. another name for helix

3. something that pursues a winding, usually upward, course or that displays a twisting form or shape

4. a flight manoeuvre in which an aircraft descends describing a helix of comparatively large radius with the angle of attack within the normal flight range Compare spin

5. economics a continuous upward or downward movement in economic activity or prices, caused by interaction between prices, wages, demand, and production

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adjective

1. having the shape of a spiral

verb

1. to assume or cause to assume a spiral course or shape

2. (intr) to increase or decrease with steady acceleration

   wages and prices continue to spiral

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• spirality
  noun
• multispiral
  adjective
• nonspiral
  adjective
• subspiral
  adjective
• unspiral
  adjective
• unspiraled
  adjective
• unspiralled
  adjective
• spirally
  adverb
• subspirally
  adverb
• unspirally
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• spirals
  plural

Participles

• spiraling
  present
• spiralling
  present
• spiraled
  past
• spiralled
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• spiral
  simple
• spirals
  simple
• have spiraled
  perfect
• have spiralled
  perfect
• has spiraled
  perfect
• has spiralled
  perfect
• am spiraling
  progressive
• am spiralling
  progressive
• are spiraling
  progressive
• are spiralling
  progressive
• is spiraling
  progressive
• is spiralling
  progressive
• have been spiraling
  perfect progressive
• have been spiralling
  perfect progressive
• has been spiraling
  perfect progressive
• has been spiralling
  perfect progressive

Past

• spiraled
  simple
• spiralled
  simple
• had spiraled
  perfect
• had spiralled
  perfect
• was spiraling
  progressive
• was spiralling
  progressive
• were spiraling
  progressive
• were spiralling
  progressive
• had been spiraling
  perfect progressive
• had been spiralling
  perfect progressive

Future

• will spiral
  simple
• will have spiraled
  perfect
• will have spiralled
  perfect
• will be spiraling
  progressive
• will be spiralling
  progressive
• will have been spiraling
  perfect progressive
• will have been spiralling
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of spiral

1545–55; < Medieval Latin spīrālis, equivalent to Latin spīr ( a ) coil (< Greek speîra anything coiled, wreathed, or twisted; see spire ²) + -ālis -al ¹

Explanation

A spiral is a coil or curl, like the shape of a piece of hair wound around your finger, a Slinky toy, or a corkscrew. A curve forming a series of circles that become gradually larger or smaller is one kind of spiral. You can also use the word as a verb when something moves in a spiral shape: "Then the wind died and I watched my kite spiral down to the ground." The origin of spiral is the Medieval Latin spiralis, which means "winding or coiling," from a Greek root: speira, "coil, twist, or wreath."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

spiral spirals spiraled spiralled spiraling spiralling

The surge in bond yields to generational highs has investors around the world watching and worrying about what could crack, spiral or leave a trail of carnage in its path.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 3, 2026

Magnetic moments spiral around a central line extending through the fossil, producing a structure that resembles a tornado-shaped vortex.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 2, 2026

Pope Leo XIV warned on Monday that relations between nations were becoming increasingly uncivilised with people boasting of "lies and deceit", urging Europe to help break the spiral and foster respect in international ties.

From Barron's ● Sep. 28, 2026

Manchester City's legal fight with the Premier League has the potential to "spiral out of control", a former top club executive has warned.

From BBC ● Sep. 26, 2026

They liked to hide inside old spiral snail shells, but we knew how to get them to come peeking out of their hidey-holes.

From "Root Magic" by Eden Royce

The chronological installation begins with Evans’s first two pen-and-ink drawings from about 1935: abstract radiating eyes, spirals, zigzags and squiggles—feverish doodles resembling ancient pictographic narratives set down in a trance.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026

An international research team led by scientists in Canada has uncovered a likely explanation for one of the more unusual features of snake development: why embryos curl into tight spirals before hatching.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 1, 2026

Other countries have fallen victim to debt spirals, where high levels of debt lead investors to demand higher interest rates, in turn fueling more borrowing until eventually a country defaults.

From Slate ● Aug. 20, 2026

Roll it out cinnamon-roll style, spread with cream cheese, Parmesan, herbs and hot giardiniera, then coil, slice and nestle the spirals together in a buttered skillet.

From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026

He makes pencil drawings of spirals, messy, heavy-leaded corkscrews.

From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr

Material pulled from the star formed a disk around the black hole and became intensely hot as it spiraled inward.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 16, 2026

Commentators draw parallels with other intractable conflicts, and count the taxpayer money they say has spiraled down the drain.

From Slate ● Jun. 27, 2026

But where other artists might have spiraled, White and his compatriots transcended, turning inward while also looking to the stars.

From Salon ● Jun. 7, 2026

Fernando Guerra, a political science professor at Loyola Marymount University, said Pratt seems to have tapped into a deep well of discontent among Angelenos who believe that crime and homeless have spiraled out of control.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 24, 2026

Pixie spiraled away from us, glinting and glittering.

From "The Season of Styx Malone" by Kekla Magoon

The campaigns come one year after protests over lavish perks for lawmakers spiralled into general anti-government anger -- Indonesia's biggest unrest since President Prabowo Subianto took office in 2024.

From Barron's ● Sep. 3, 2026

Rohit's dismissal in the 38th over, bowled round his legs by Bethell, was the decisive moment in the match, leaving Virat Kohli to attempt to take India to victory as the required run-rate spiralled.

From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026

But over the years it borrowed heavily and its total debt has spiralled beyond £20bn.

From BBC ● Jun. 16, 2026

When Dean's debts spiralled to unmanageable levels, it was not one single event that had fuelled the crisis, but an accumulation.

From BBC ● May 26, 2026

Jason and Piper spiralled upward on the wind.

From "Blood of Olympus" by Rick Riordan

In satellite images nor'easters can look strikingly like a hurricane, with spiraling clouds forming over the ocean that span hundreds of miles of coastline.

From Barron's ● Sep. 27, 2026

"Phobos' orbit is dynamically very special; it is very close to Mars, slowly spiraling inward, and will eventually be disrupted or impact Mars," says Haser.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 19, 2026

“They aren’t hiking because inflation is spiraling higher or inflation expectations are becoming un-anchored,” she said.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 16, 2026

As the hyperscale build-out gathers pace, the dollar value of assets exposed to potential catastrophe is spiraling.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 5, 2026

She stopped to catch her breath on the wide avenue where the spiraling mansions of Park Slope met the edge of Prospect Park.

From "Shadowshaper" by Daniel José Older

Among the issues dominating the election in 2026 were keeping young people on the island, the availability and cost of housing, wind farms, healthcare waiting times, and the impacts of spiralling expenses for small businesses.

From BBC ● Sep. 24, 2026

What leverage does Canada, which sells about 70% of its goods to the US, actually have in this spiralling trade dispute with its southern neighbour, who also happens to be the world's largest economy?

From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026

Scottish Conservative MP Andrew Bowie said "plummeting teacher numbers and spiralling levels of school violence" had made it a difficult year for pupils.

From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026

Hospitality veteran Clemens Keller insists that Vienna's storied "heuriger" winemakers' taverns -- which face a hangover-inducing brew of real estate speculation, spiralling costs and climate change -- cannot rely on their illustrious past.

From Barron's ● Jul. 26, 2026

I could feel a tremble in my stomach, spiralling outwards through my body.

From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler

Related Words

• circling
• coiled