spire

¹ American  

[spahy^uhr] / spaɪər /

noun

1. a tall, acutely pointed pyramidal roof or rooflike construction upon a tower, roof, etc.

2. a similar construction forming the upper part of a steeple.

3. a tapering, pointed part of something; a tall, sharp-pointed summit, peak, or the like.

   the distant spires of the mountains.

4. the highest point or summit of something.

   the spire of a hill;

   the spire of one's profession.

5. a sprout or shoot of a plant, as an acrospire of grain or a blade or spear of grass.

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verb (used without object)

spired, spiring

1. to shoot or rise into spirelike form; rise or extend to a height in the manner of a spire.

spire ² American  

[spahy^uhr] / spaɪər /

noun

1. a coil or spiral.

2. one of the series of convolutions of a coil or spiral.

3. Zoology. the upper, convoluted part of a spiral shell, above the aperture.

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spire ¹ British  

/ spaɪə /

noun

1. Also called: steeple.  a tall structure that tapers upwards to a point, esp one on a tower or roof or one that forms the upper part of a steeple

2. a slender tapering shoot or stem, such as a blade of grass

3. the apical part of any tapering formation; summit

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verb

1. (intr) to assume the shape of a spire; point up

2. (tr) to furnish with a spire or spires

spire ² British  

/ spaɪə, spaɪəˈrɪfərəs /

noun

1. any of the coils or turns in a spiral structure

2. the apical part of a spiral shell

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Other Word Forms

• spireless adjective
• spiriferous adjective
• spiry adjective
• unspiring adjective

Etymology

Origin of spire¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English spir(e), Old English spīr “spike (of grain), blade (of grass)”; cognate with Middle Dutch spier, Middle Low German spīr “shoot, sprout, sprig,” Old Norse spīra “stalk”

Origin of spire²

First recorded in 1565–75; from Latin spīra, from Greek speîra; spiral

Example Sentences

In his hands Petr holds the model of a church with a curiously tall spire.

From The Wall Street Journal

Barcelona stretched out in every direction, a mosaic of old stone, glass and spire, Gaudí’s Sagrada Familia standing like an undone sentry among the rest.

From Salon

When the spire fell through the stone vault below, it caused other vaults to fall, alarmingly.

From The Wall Street Journal

Below the domes and spires of a colonial metropolis, a discernible transfer of power is evident, as khadi-clad Congress volunteers outnumber pith-helmeted policemen and army soldiers.

From BBC

She had to shield her eyes from the harsh gleam of sun along the spire’s golden edge.

From Literature

Related Words

• steeple