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

She said the significant stress made her worry about her unborn child and caused her to "spiral" on some occasions.

From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026

One of two rooms at the Saxony Cottage has a spiral staircase that leads to an upstairs bedroom.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026

The site also preserved Eoandromeda, a possible comb jelly with eight arms arranged in a spiral.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 6, 2026

The U.S. along with Arab states worry the conflict could spiral out of control if Israel joins the current round of fighting.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026

He got onto his knees and dug again with his hands, in between the spiral and the square.

From "Healer of the Water Monster" by Brian Young

I spent a good share of my shifts throwing tight spirals to kids in the produce section.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 9, 2026

His all-Oxford intellectual formation comes out of the post-“Great Financial Crisis” macro-finance school that views financial crises as driven by leverage cycles, liquidity spirals and risk-taking channels as much as by the traditional business cycle.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 4, 2026

They say they are working urgently in case the outbreak spirals and their experimental vaccine is needed.

From BBC ● May 22, 2026

In Barnes' simulation, the pair gradually spirals inward.

From Science Daily ● Feb. 23, 2026

The way the bees poured out, rushing up all of a sudden in spirals of chaos and noise, caused me to jump.

From "The Secret Life of Bees" by Sue Monk Kidd

The Sparks easily could have spiraled following Monday’s disaster in Seattle.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 11, 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

Circle the tower, Magdalys commanded, and their dactyl cut a wide arc and then spiraled toward the parapet.

From "Dactyl Hill Squad" by Daniel José Older

Burns said in the beginning UWP was legitimate, but Long's actions spiralled out of control due to poor business management and he began using his client's money to keep the company afloat.

From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026

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

From BBC ● Jun. 16, 2026

The conflict has since spiralled into Europe's deadliest since World War II.

From Barron's ● May 25, 2026

Talks on ending what has spiralled into Europe's worst conflict since World War II have shown little progress and have been sidelined by the Iran conflict.

From Barron's ● May 7, 2026

Then their sire launched himself upward and spiralled into the night.

From "Blood of Olympus" by Rick Riordan

He counsels letter writers on how to handle a cheating brother, discuss religion with a devout friend, and avoid spiraling over the fear of being single forever.

From Slate ● Aug. 5, 2026

The 2026 Commonwealth Games were thrown into doubt when its original hosts, the Australian state of Victoria, pulled out in 2023 citing spiraling costs.

From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026

His beloved Knicks winning the championship, he said, kept him from spiraling over the book.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026

But such events are also drawing the working and middle classes, who bust open savings and borrow money to afford spiraling prices.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 27, 2026

“Everything is spiraling into chaos anyway,” says Cardan.

From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black

It is among a host of tech firms to have told consumers that spiralling component costs mean they must charge more, with rival Sony hiking PlayStation 5 prices by £90 in March.

From BBC ● Aug. 3, 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

"Happiness came in a box," Charli says of the proposal, before spiralling into a panic about who she'll become if she says "yes".

From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026

Fawad Razaqzada, a market analyst at Forex.com, said: "One can easily imagine the situation spiralling quite rapidly."

From Barron's ● Jul. 13, 2026

Together they performed the peregrine courtship dance, swooping low, zooming high, then spiralling earthward.

From "On the Far Side of the Mountain" by Jean Craighead George

Related Words

• circling
• coiled