spiral

American  

[spahy-ruhl] / ˈspaɪ rəl /

noun

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)

spiraled, spiraling spiralled, spiralling

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)

spiraled, spiraling spiralled, spiralling

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

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

Etymology

Origin of spiral

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

Example Sentences

At one point I spiraled into Henry VIII, and I just watched a million videos about Henry VIII.

From The Wall Street Journal

Active galactic nuclei occur when material spirals into a galaxy's central black hole, forming an extremely hot accretion disk.

From Science Daily

President Ferdinand Marcos has seen friend and foe alike, including a congressman cousin, swept up by the spiraling scandal since he first put the issue centre stage in a July national address.

From Barron's

In 2020, lockdowns showed how bad such a selling spiral can be, and the Federal Reserve was forced to buy more than $1 trillion of bonds to stabilize the market.

From The Wall Street Journal

Instead, this season is spiraling into the club’s most catastrophic campaign in decades.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• circling
• coiled