spiral

[ spahy-ruhl ]

/ ˈspaɪ rəl /

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See synonyms for: spiral / spiraled / spiraling / spiralled on Thesaurus.com

noun

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

a helix.

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

a spiral or helical object, formation, or form.

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.

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

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

adjective

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

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

of or of the nature of a spire or coil.

bound with a spiral binding; spiral-bound: a spiral notebook.

verb (used without object), spi·raled, spi·ral·ing or (especially British) spi·ralled, spi·ral·ling.

to take a spiral form or course.

to advance or increase steadily; rise: Costs have been spiraling all year.

Aeronautics. to fly an airplane through a spiral course.

verb (used with object), spi·raled, spi·ral·ing or (especially British) spi·ralled, spi·ral·ling.

to cause to take a spiral form or course.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of spiral

1545–55; <Medieval Latin spīrālis, equivalent to Latin spīr(a) coil (<Greek speîra anything coiled, wreathed, or twisted; see spire²) + -ālis-al¹

OTHER WORDS FROM spiral

spi·ral·i·ty

[spahy-ral-i-tee], /spaɪˈræl ɪ ti/, nounspi·ral·ly, adverbmul·ti·spi·ral, adjectivenon·spi·ral, adjective, noun

sub·spi·ral, adjectivesub·spi·ral·ly, adverbun·spi·ral, adjectiveun·spi·ral·ly, adverbun·spi·raled, adjectiveun·spi·ralled, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use spiral in a sentence

Flying saucers hover here and there, red spirals echo the poster for Alfred Hitchcock’s movie “Vertigo,” and the general trippiness is a flashback to acid-rock light shows.
In the galleries: The Washington colorists and the CIA|Mark Jenkins|November 20, 2020|Washington Post
In restaurants, the consequences of the death spiral of pandemic mismanagement are glaringly obvious, and speak to a larger breakdown in public life.
Restaurants and the People Who Work in Them Need a Bailout. Let’s Finally Give Them One.|Meghan McCarron|November 19, 2020|Eater
The whales with spiraled tusks jutting from their heads have been known to live in small groups that, at times, come together to form large pods.
A 28-year-old ‘nerd’ in Baltimore invented a new type of mask, and tapped into the strangeness of this 2020 holiday season|Theresa Vargas|November 18, 2020|Washington Post
Life’s stresses cloud my thinking and I spiral into a downward circle of frustration, fear and doubt.
Friday feedback: Defending democracy, finding purpose|Alan Murray|November 13, 2020|Fortune

In 2007, we were watching someone spiral away from the constraint of her managers and image-handlers and ultimately even out of her own control.
Why Britney Spears’s fans are convinced she’s being held captive|Constance Grady|November 11, 2020|Vox
So, only when you have spiraling matter down do you get these ferocious, black hole jets.
Neil deGrasse Tyson Breaks Down ‘Interstellar’: Black Holes, Time Dilations, and Massive Waves|Marlow Stern|November 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A shock or recession could send deficits spiraling much higher.
The Battle of the Deficit Bulge Has Been Won|Daniel Gross|October 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Authorities in Hong Kong, at least for the moment, have lost control of spiraling protests in the city.
Hong Kong Protesters Fear Martial Law Is Coming|Gordon G. Chang|September 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Spiraling gun violence has earned Chicago the nickname Chiraq.
Obama, Why Aren’t You in Chiraq?|Michael Daly|July 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Have you ever found yourself spiraling a bit out of control on booze or drugs?
James McAvoy on ‘Filth,’ His Wild Bachelor Party, and BB Gun Fights with Jennifer Lawrence|Marlow Stern|May 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He lay on the rocks and sand, his mind spiraling toward unconsciousness, and let his body make its own recovery.
The Sensitive Man|Poul William Anderson
The squadron was spiraling upward in close formation with his plane above them when the enemy struck.
Astounding Stories of Super-Science, November, 1930|Various
Hands were laid on him and the roughness with which he was moved sent Ross spiraling back into the dark once again.
The Time Traders|Andre Norton
The spark descended rather slowly, with a spiraling movement, and trailing the heavy smoke.
Our Part in the Great War|Arthur Gleason
They then ascended interminable moldy stone steps spiraling upward in a circular shaft.
Astounding Stories, June, 1931|Various

British Dictionary definitions for spiral

spiral

/ (ˈspaɪərəl) /

noun

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)

another name for helix (def. 1)

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

a flight manoeuvre in which an aircraft descends describing a helix of comparatively large radius with the angle of attack within the normal flight rangeCompare spin (def. 16)

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

adjective

having the shape of a spiral

verb -rals, -ralling or -ralled or US -rals, -raling or -raled

to assume or cause to assume a spiral course or shape

(intr) to increase or decrease with steady accelerationwages and prices continue to spiral

Derived forms of spiral

spirally, adverb

Word Origin for spiral

C16: via French from Medieval Latin spīrālis, from Latin spīra a coil; see spire ²

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

spiral

Origin of spiral

OTHER WORDS FROM spiral

Words related to spiral

How to use spiral in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for spiral

Derived forms of spiral

Word Origin for spiral