spiral

/'spaiərəl/

Friendly

Word: Spiral

Part of Speech: - Noun - Verb - Adjective

Definition:

The word "spiral" refers to something that has the shape of a coil or a winding curve. It can describe both physical shapes and movements.

Usage Instructions:

• As a noun, "spiral" can describe a physical object that coils, like a spiral staircase or a spiral of smoke.
• As a verb, "to spiral" means to move in a spiral shape, like a bird flying down in a circular motion or a roller coaster going around.
• As an adjective, "spiral" describes something that has a spiral shape.

Examples:

• Noun: "The spiral of the staircase made it easier to go up to the next floor."
• Verb: "The kite spiraled down from the sky."
• Adjective: "She drew a spiral pattern on the paper."

Advanced Usage:

In more advanced contexts, "spiral" can describe more abstract concepts, such as economic conditions. For example, "The economy is in a downward spiral," meaning it is continuously getting worse.

Word Variants:

• Spiraling: The present participle form can describe something that is currently moving in a spiral motion.
• Spiraled: The past tense can describe something that has already moved in a spiral or has been shaped into a spiral.

Different Meanings:

1. Physical Shape: A coil or curve that winds around a center.
2. Movement: A motion that follows a spiral path.
3. Abstract Concept: A situation that becomes increasingly worse, such as in economics or health.

Synonyms:

• Coil
• Helix
• Twirl
• Gyrate (for movement)
• Whirl

Idioms and Phrasal Verbs:

While "spiral" does not have many idioms associated with it, you can often hear phrases like: - "Spiraling out of control," which means that something is getting worse rapidly and is difficult to manage.

Conclusion:

The word "spiral" can be used in various contexts, from describing the shape of objects to explaining movements and abstract concepts.

Academic

Adjective

1. in the shape of a coil

Noun

1. flying downward in a helical path with a large radius
2. a structure consisting of something wound in a continuous series of loops
   • a coil of rope
3. ornament consisting of a curve on a plane that winds around a center with an increasing distance from the center
4. a continuously accelerating change in the economy
5. a curve that lies on the surface of a cylinder or cone and cuts the element at a constant angle
6. a plane curve traced by a point circling about the center but at increasing distances from the center

Verb

1. move in a spiral or zigzag course
2. form a spiral
   • The path spirals up the mountain
3. to wind or move in a spiral course
   • the muscles and nerves of his fine drawn body were coiling for action
   • black smoke coiling up into the sky
   • the young people gyrated on the dance floor

Synonyms

• coiling
• helical
• spiraling
• volute
• voluted
• whorled
• turbinate
• coil
• whorl
• helix
• corkscrew
• gyrate