ˈspaɪərəl adj., n., & v. --adj. 1
winding about a
centre in an enlarging or decreasing
continuous circular motion,
either on a flat plane or
rising in a
cone; coiled. 2 winding continuously
along or as if along a
cylinder, like
the thread of a
screw. --n. 1 a plane or three-dimensional spiral
curve. 2 a spiral
spring. 3 a spiral
formation in a
shell etc. 4 a spiral
galaxy. 5 a
progressive rise or
fall of prices, wages,
etc.,
each responding to an
upward or
downward stimulus provided by the
other (a spiral of rising prices
and wages). --v. (spiralled, spiralling; US spiraled, spiraling) 1 intr.
move in a spiral
course,
esp. upwards or downwards. 2 tr.
make spiral. 3 intr. esp. Econ. (of prices, wages, etc.) rise or fall, esp. rapidly (cf.
sense 5 of n.). øspiral
balance a
device for measuring
weight by the
torsion of a spiral spring. spiral galaxy a galaxy in
which the
matter is concentrated
mainly in
one or
more spiral arms. spiral
staircase a staircase rising in a spiral
round a
central axis. øøspirality n. spirally adv. [F spiral or med.L spiralis (as SPIRE(2))]
