Spiral to Spiritualism
Spiral (Spi"ral) a. [Cf. F. spiral. See Spire a winding line.]
1. Winding or circling round a center or pole and gradually receding from it; as, the spiral curve of a
watch spring.
2. Winding round a cylinder or imaginary axis, and at the same time rising or advancing forward; winding
like the thread of a screw; helical.
3. (Geom.) Of or pertaining to a spiral; like a spiral.
Spiral gear, or Spiral wheel (Mach.), a gear resembling in general a spur gear, but having its teeth
cut at an angle with its axis, or so that they form small portions of screws or spirals. Spiral gearing,
a kind of gearing sometimes used in light machinery, in which spiral gears, instead of bevel gears, are
used to transmit motion between shafts that are not parallel. Spiral operculum, an operculum whih
has spiral lines of growth. Spiral shell, any shell in which the whorls form a spiral or helix. Spiral
spring. See the Note under Spring, n., 4.
Spiral (Spi"ral) n. [Cf. F. spirale. See Spiral, a.]
1. (Geom.) A plane curve, not reëntrant, described by a point, called the generatrix, moving along a
straight line according to a mathematical law, while the line is revolving about a fixed point called the
pole. Cf. Helix.
2. Anything which has a spiral form, as a spiral shell.
Equiangular spiral,a plane curve which cuts all its generatrices at the same angle. Same as Logarithmic
spiral, under Logarithmic. Spiral of Archimedes, a spiral the law of which is that the generatrix
moves uniformly along the revolving line, which also moves uniformly.
Spirality (Spi*ral"i*ty) n. The quality or states of being spiral.
Spirally (Spi"ral*ly) adv. In a spiral form, manner, or direction.
Spiralozooid (Spi*ra`lo*zo"oid) n. [Spiral + zooid. So called because they often have a spiral form
when contracted.] (Zoöl.) One of the special defensive zooids of certain hydroids. They have the form
of long, slender tentacles, and bear lasso cells.
Spirant (Spi"rant) n. [L. spirans, -antis, p. pr. of spirare to breathe. See Spirit.] (Phon.) A term
used differently by different authorities; by some as equivalent to fricative, - - that is, as including all
the continuous consonants, except the nasals m, n, ng; with the further exception, by others, of the
liquids r, l, and the semivowels w, y; by others limited to f, v, th surd and sonant, and the sound of
German ch, thus excluding the sibilants, as well as the nasals, liquids, and semivowels. See Guide
to Pronunciation, §§ 197-208.
Spiranthy (Spi*ran"thy) n. [Gr. a coil + flower.] (Bot.) The occasional twisted growth of the parts of a
flower.
Spiration (Spi*ra"tion) n. [L. spiratio, fr. spirare to breathe.] The act of breathing. [Obs.] Barrow.
Spire (Spire) v. i. [L. spirare to breathe. See Spirit.] To breathe. [Obs.] Shenstone.
Spire (Spire), n. [OE. spire, spir, a blade of grass, a young shoot, AS. spir; akin to G. spier a blade of
grass, Dan. spire a sprout, sprig, Sw. spira a spar, Icel. spira.]
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