spiral

CEFRB2

/ˈspaɪɹəl/

noun · verb

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    noun

    A curved shape that winds around a center.

  2. 02

    verb

    To move or grow in a winding curve.

Examples

  • A snail's shell is spiral in form.

  • A spiral staircase leads onto the gallery of the church.

At a glance

Sits at B2 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
2
Citations
3
Synonyms
4

Also pronounced

  • /ˈspɑɪɹəl/

Deep Dive

noun

Extra meanings

  1. A helix.

  2. A self-sustaining process with a lot of momentum involved, so it is difficult to accelerate or stop it at once.

  3. A curve that is the locus of a point that rotates about a fixed point while continuously increasing its distance from that point.

More examples

In context

  • Her debts were spiralling out of control.

  • The falling leaves spiralled down from the tree.

  • You need to learn how to spiral a ball.

Synonyms

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

The staircase formed a blank going up the tower in the castle.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

noun

From Middle French spirale, from Medieval Latin spiralis, from Latin spīra, from Ancient Greek σπεῖρα (speîra, “wreath, coil, twist”).