spiro-

¹

1. a combining form meaning “respiration,” used in the formation of compound words.

   spirograph.

spiro-

²

especially before a vowel, spir-

1. a combining form meaning “coil,” “spiral,” used in the formation of compound words.

   spirochete.

spiro-

¹

combining form

1. indicating breath or respiration

   spirograph

spiro-

²

combining form

1. spiral; coil

   spirochaete

Word History and Origins

Origin of spiro-¹

Combining form of Latin spīrāre “to breathe”

Origin of spiro-²

Combining form of Latin spīra, from Greek speîra “coil”

Word History and Origins

Origin of spiro-¹

from Latin spīrāre to breathe

Origin of spiro-²

from Latin spīra, from Greek speira a coil

Example Sentences

She was initially defended by Quinn Emanuel’s Alex Spiro, who has represented the likes of Elon Musk and Eric Adams.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

There’s also Voltaire’s “Candide”; Charlie Chaplin’s capitalist critique, “Monsieur Verdoux”; Walt Kelly’s comic strip, “Pogo,” with its animalizations of Joseph McCarthy and Spiro Agnew; humorists Stan Freberg, Tom Lehrer and Beyond the Fringe; Mad magazine, the Onion, and on and on.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

That changed in 2023 when Dr. Thu-Thuy Dang and her team in the Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science identified the first plant enzyme capable of twisting a molecule into the distinctive spiro shape.

Read more on Science Daily

“The suggestion that the financials are in any way improper is false and defamatory,” said Alex Spiro, a lawyer representing Elon Musk.

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He also said he spoke with Jenner-Kardashian attorney Alex Spiro, who allegedly asked him “crazy questions,” including whether he spoke to “feds.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times