spire
1a tall, acutely pointed pyramidal roof or rooflike construction upon a tower, roof, etc.
a similar construction forming the upper part of a steeple.
a tapering, pointed part of something; a tall, sharp-pointed summit, peak, or the like: the distant spires of the mountains.
the highest point or summit of something: the spire of a hill;the spire of one's profession.
a sprout or shoot of a plant, as an acrospire of grain or a blade or spear of grass.
to shoot or rise into spirelike form; rise or extend to a height in the manner of a spire.
Origin of spire
1Other words from spire
- spireless, adjective
- un·spir·ing, adjective
Words that may be confused with spire
- spire , steeple
Words Nearby spire
Other definitions for spire (2 of 2)
a coil or spiral.
one of the series of convolutions of a coil or spiral.
Zoology. the upper, convoluted part of a spiral shell, above the aperture.
Origin of spire
2Other words from spire
- spireless, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use spire in a sentence
From town, you can cycle 32 miles to the towering spires of Smith Rock State Park, an underrated gem laced with trails for hiking and bolted routes for climbing.
Oregon’s under-the-radar Mill Creek Wilderness packs pointy rock spires, looming ridges, and sparse pines—the result of a wildfire in 2000—across its 17,173 acres.
Serrated ridges, pointed spires, and deep, dramatic valleys are in full view here, and the area’s many hiking trails, from the area’s 67 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail to short-but-scenic excursions like the seven-mile Snow Lake Trail.
Vantages into the inner gorge show clusters of sharp spires hewed from the dark Vishnu rock.
A father-son backpacking trip in the Grand Canyon is an introduction to adventure | John Briley | April 9, 2021 | Washington PostIn Edinburgh, church spires and austere towers are “thinking awful Scottish thoughts, or plotting the downfall of reason.”
World class: Remembering legendary travel writer Jan Morris | Liza Weisstuch | December 10, 2020 | Washington Post
The New York Times noted that “the largest model of spire looks a lot like a giant iPhone.”
“I think spire is just the suffix,” said Pepsi CEO Indra Nooyi.
The spire rests on the same basic principal as the old-school fountains.
And as The New York Times reported in May, Marcus Theatres, a chain of movie theaters, has been testing the spire in Wisconsin.
As part of a far-reaching partnership between Pepsi and Buffalo Wild Wings, the chain is rolling out spire in its outlets.
The bells were clashing merrily from the village spire as the party passed out of the church porch.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3) | Charles James WillsIn time the summit of the church spire disappeared from view, and for many years thereafter all trace of the hamlet was lost.
Outlines of the Earth's History | Nathaniel Southgate ShalerIt is without tower or spire of considerable height and somewhat disappointing when viewed from the exterior.
British Highways And Byways From A Motor Car | Thomas D. MurphyTwenty miles more through a beautiful country brought us in sight of the cathedral spire of Norwich.
British Highways And Byways From A Motor Car | Thomas D. MurphyI wish the good people would knock off the top part of Antwerp Cathedral spire.
Little Travels and Roadside Sketches | William Makepeace Thackeray
British Dictionary definitions for spire (1 of 2)
/ (spaɪə) /
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
a slender tapering shoot or stem, such as a blade of grass
the apical part of any tapering formation; summit
(intr) to assume the shape of a spire; point up
(tr) to furnish with a spire or spires
Origin of spire
1Derived forms of spire
- spiry, adjective
British Dictionary definitions for spire (2 of 2)
/ (spaɪə) /
any of the coils or turns in a spiral structure
the apical part of a spiral shell
Origin of spire
2Derived forms of spire
- spiriferous (spaɪəˈrɪfərəs), adjective
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
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