From Middle French spirale, from Medieval Latin spiralis, from Latin spīra, from Ancient Greek σπεῖρα (speîra, “wreath, coil, twist”).
Meanings
(not-comparable) Helical, like a spiral.
The formation of tornados and water-spouts is very probably identical with that of dust-storms and "devils," viz., a sudden disturbance of the vertical equilibrium of the atmosphere, where by an upward rush of air is generated, which rapidly becomes spiral. 1877, H. F. Blandford, Indian Meteorologist's Vade-mecum, page 140:
Translations (15)
el σπειροειδές (helical) · uk спіра́льний (helical) · el σπειροειδής (helical) · ru спира́льный (helical) · be спіра́льны (helical) · el σπιράλ (spirál) (helical) · bg спирален (helical) · el ελικοειδές (helical) · la tortilis (helical) · el ελικωτός (helical) · el ελικωτή (helical) · pl spiralny (helical) · el ελικοειδής (helical) · el ελικωτό (helical) · mi tōrino (helical)
From Middle French spirale, from Medieval Latin spiralis, from Latin spīra, from Ancient Greek σπεῖρα (speîra, “wreath, coil, twist”).
Meanings
A curve that is the locus of a point that rotates about a fixed point while continuously increasing its distance from that point.
(informal) A helix.
A self-sustaining process with a lot of momentum involved, so it is difficult to accelerate or stop it at once.
My beloved friends and family who sustained and grounded me as I fell into the rabbit hole of this project or down the spiral of new parenthood. 2015, Jane Ward, Not Gay, New York University Press, →ISBN, page xi:
A section of track that forms a circle and crosses over itself, used for gaining height in mountainous territory.
From Middle French spirale, from Medieval Latin spiralis, from Latin spīra, from Ancient Greek σπεῖρα (speîra, “wreath, coil, twist”).
Meanings
(intransitive) To move along the path of a spiral or helix.
The falling leaves spiralled down from the tree.
(transitive) To cause something to spiral.
You need to learn how to spiral a ball.
(figuratively, intransitive) To increase continually.
Excessive contrarianism against the liberal establishment has also resulted in slopulism spiralling off into the most moronic of conspiracy theories. 2025 May 2, Endeavour, “Against Slopulism”, in Counter-Currents, archived from the original on 21 Jun 2025:
Her debts were spiralling out of control.
(intransitive) To decline mentally.
She spiralled into a deep depression.
This one girl taps my insecurities / Don't know if it's real or if I'm spiraling / One voice tells me that they laugh / George says I'm just paranoid 2024, Charli XCX, “Sympathy is a knife”, in Brat: