WordGarden.iospiral
B1Pronunciation
UK
- /spˈaɪərəl/
US
- /ˈspaɪrəl/
Meanings
Noun
a curve, coil, or pattern that winds around a center
a continuing rise, decline, or loss of control that feeds on itself
Verb
to move or wind in a curving path around a center
to rise, fall, or worsen rapidly in a self-reinforcing way
Adjective
winding around a center in coils or curves
Beyond the definition
A spiral isn't just a pretty shape. It's a line or form that keeps turning around a center while moving inward or outward. Think of a snail shell, a fingerprint, or the way smoke rises. It describes physical things, like a spiral staircase, but also patterns in life. A story might spiral into darkness, or your thoughts might spiral when worry keeps building.
The word comes from the Latin spira, meaning "coil." You can see this pattern in nature and art, from galaxies and seashells to carved designs and modern buildings. A spiral may keep going, opening outward, or it may draw inward toward a center. In Edgar Allan Poe's "A Descent into the Maelström," the narrator describes being caught in a terrifying spiral current that threatens to pull him under.
A spiral is a curve that winds around a central point while gradually moving either closer to it or farther away from it. It is a shape found often in nature: seashells, sunflower seed patterns, hurricanes, and spiral galaxies all show this kind of turning movement. But "spiral" is not limited to visible shapes. It also describes a process that keeps repeating while growing stronger, weaker, bigger, or more difficult.
A spiral of debt means a financial situation gets worse and worse as interest builds up. In the same way, a conversation might spiral out of control if it begins with a small disagreement and grows into a serious argument. The word also names real objects and structures, such as a spiral staircase that winds upward around a central support, or a spiral notebook bound with a coiled wire. In mathematics, a spiral is a family of curves with different rules and shapes, such as the Archimedean spiral or the logarithmic spiral.
Historically, spirals have carried symbolic meaning in many cultures, often standing for growth, change, cycles, or a journey inward. Writers also use the word in a figurative way to suggest loss of control or a deepening emotional state. In Herman Melville's Moby-Dick, Captain Ahab's obsessive pursuit of the white whale can be seen as a destructive downward spiral. Whether you are describing a physical shape, a repeated pattern, or a worsening chain of events, "spiral" suggests turning movement and change that does not simply move in a straight line.
Examples
- 1
Smoke shape
Smoke rose in a thin spiral from the chimney.
- 2
Staircase
We climbed the narrow spiral staircase to the roof.
- 3
Aircraft movement
The helicopter began to spiral downward after the engine failed.
- 4
Rising prices
Food prices have been spiraling upward for months.
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Conflict
A small misunderstanding can spiral into a serious argument.
- Patternspiral into + bad situation
gradually become that bad situation
- 6
Social decline
After the layoffs, the town slipped into a spiral of debt and stress.
- Patterna spiral of + problems
a situation that keeps getting worse step by step
See also
Forms and spellings
6 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- spiralnounverbadjective
Forms
- spiralspluralnounverbadjective
- spiraling-ing formverbnounadjective
- spiralling-ing formverbnounadjective
- spiraledpast tenseverbnounadjective
- spiralledpast tenseverbnounadjective