spire

1
[ spahyuhr ]
See synonyms for: spirespiredspiring on Thesaurus.com

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.

  1. a tapering, pointed part of something; a tall, sharp-pointed summit, peak, or the like: the distant spires of the mountains.

  2. the highest point or summit of something: the spire of a hill;the spire of one's profession.

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

verb (used without object),spired, spir·ing.
  1. to shoot or rise into spirelike form; rise or extend to a height in the manner of a spire.

Origin of spire

1
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”

Other words from spire

  • spireless, adjective
  • un·spir·ing, adjective

Words that may be confused with spire

Words Nearby spire

Other definitions for spire (2 of 2)

spire2
[ spahyuhr ]

noun
  1. a coil or spiral.

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

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

Origin of spire

2
First recorded in 1565–75; from Latin spīra, from Greek speîra; see also spiral

Other words from spire

  • spireless, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use spire in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for spire (1 of 2)

spire1

/ (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

  1. the apical part of any tapering formation; summit

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

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

Origin of spire

1
Old English spīr blade; related to Old Norse spīra stalk, Middle Low German spīr shoot, Latin spīna thorn

Derived forms of spire

  • spiry, adjective

British Dictionary definitions for spire (2 of 2)

spire2

/ (spaɪə) /


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

  2. the apical part of a spiral shell

Origin of spire

2
C16: from Latin spīra a coil, from Greek speira

Derived forms of spire

  • spiriferous (spaɪəˈrɪfərəs), adjective

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