英和和英

語源

From Middle French spirale, from Medieval Latin spiralis, from Latin spīra, from Ancient Greek σπεῖρα (speîra, “wreath, coil, twist”).

発音

• (Received Pronunciation, General American, Canada, New Zealand) IPA: /ˈspaɪɹəl/
• (General Australian) IPA: /ˈspɑɪɹəl/
• 韻: -aɪɹəl

名詞

spiral (plural spirals)

1. (geometry) A curve that is the locus of a point that rotates about a fixed point while continuously increasing its distance from that point.
2. (informal) A helix.
3. A self-sustaining process with a lot of momentum involved, so it is difficult to accelerate or stop it at once.
   • 2015, Jane Ward, Not Gay, New York University Press, →ISBN, page xi:

     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.

4. (rail transport) A section of track that forms a circle and crosses over itself, used for gaining height in mountainous territory.

関連する語

形容詞

spiral (not comparable)

1. Helical, like a spiral.
   • 1877, H. F. Blandford, Indian Meteorologist's Vade-mecum, page 140:

     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.

動詞

spiral (third-person singular simple present spirals, present participle (US) spiraling or (UK) spiralling, simple past and past participle (US) spiraled or (UK) spiralled)

1. (intransitive) To move along the path of a spiral or helix.

   Synonym: billow

   Synonyms: gyrate, spire

   The falling leaves spiralled down from the tree.

2. (transitive) To cause something to spiral.

   You need to learn how to spiral a ball.

3. (figuratively, intransitive) To increase continually.

   Her debts were spiralling out of control.

   • 2025 May 2, Endeavour, “Against Slopulism”, in Counter-Currents‎, archived from the original on 21 June 2025:

     Excessive contrarianism against the liberal establishment has also resulted in slopulism spiralling off into the most moronic of conspiracy theories.

4. (intransitive) To decline mentally.

   She spiralled into a deep depression.

派生語

Further reading

• Category:spirals on Wikimedia Commons.Wikimedia Commons

アナグラム

• Aprils, Plairs, prials