different between spiral vs winding

English

Etymology

From Middle French spirale, from Medieval Latin spiralis, from Latin spira, from Ancient Greek ?????? (speíra, “wreath, coil, twist”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?spa???l/
• Rhymes: -a???l

Noun

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.

Derived terms

Translations

Adjective

spiral (not comparable)

1. Helical, like a spiral

Translations

Verb

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.

   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.

Translations

Further reading

• spiral on Wikimedia Commons.Wikimedia Commons

Anagrams

• Aprils, Plairs, prials

Danish

Pronunciation

Noun

spiral c (singular definite spiralen, plural indefinite spiraler)

1. spiral

Declension

Further reading

• “spiral” in Den Danske Ordbog
• “spiral” in Ordbog over det danske Sprog

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /spi.?al/

Adjective

spiral (feminine singular spirale, masculine plural spiraux, feminine plural spirales)

1. spiral

Noun

spiral m (plural spiraux)

1. spiral

Further reading

• “spiral” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Northern Sami

Pronunciation

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Noun

spiral

1. hip

Inflection

This noun needs an inflection-table template.

Further reading

• Koponen, Eino; Ruppel, Klaas; Aapala, Kirsti, editors (2002-2008) Álgu database: Etymological database of the Saami languages?^[1], Helsinki: Research Institute for the Languages of Finland

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From Medieval Latin spiralis, from Latin spira

Noun

spiral m (definite singular spiralen, indefinite plural spiraler, definite plural spiralene)

1. a spiral, coil
2. a coil (contraceptive device)

Derived terms

• spiralfjær
• spiraltrapp

References

• “spiral” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

From Medieval Latin spiralis, from Latin spira

Noun

spiral m (definite singular spiralen, indefinite plural spiralar, definite plural spiralane)

1. a spiral, coil
2. a coil (contraceptive device)

Derived terms

• spiraltrapp

References

• “spiral” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Romanian

Etymology

From French spiral

Adjective

spiral m or n (feminine singular spiral?, masculine plural spirali, feminine and neuter plural spirale)

1. spiral

Declension

Further reading

• spiral in DEX online - Dic?ionare ale limbii române (Dictionaries of the Romanian language)

Swedish

Pronunciation

Noun

spiral c

1. spiral

Declension

English

Etymology 1

From wind +? -ing, from wind (“to wrap”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?wa?nd??/

Verb

winding

1. present participle of wind

Noun

winding (countable and uncountable, plural windings)

1. Something wound around something else.
2. The manner in which something is wound.
3. One complete turn of something wound.
   • 1966, Cynthia Ozick, Trust, New York: The New American Library, Part One, Chapter 7, p. 44,^[1]

     […] my mother’s pale arms emerged from the windings of her sheets and flailed in the air […]

4. (especially in the plural) Curving or bending movement, twists and turns.
   • 1610, John Healey, The City of God by Augustine of Hippo, London: George Eld, Book 13, p. 680,^[2]

     The Labyrinth] A building so entangled in windings and cyrcles, that it deceiueth all that come in it.

   • 1706, William Congreve, The Double Dealer, London: Jacob Tonson, Act I, Scene 1, p. 9,^[3]

     […] in vain I do disguise me from thee, thou know’st me, know’st the very inmost Windings and Recesses of my Soul.

   • 1818, Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, Penguin, 2018, Chapter 2, p. 88,^[4]

     The ascent is precipitous, but the path is cut into continual and short windings, which enable you to surmount the perpendicularity of the mountain.

   • 1849, Charlotte Brontë, letter cited in Elizabeth Gaskell, The Life of Charlotte Brontë, 1857, Volume 2, Chapter ,^[5]

     Eugene Forcarde, the reviewer in question, follows Currer Bell through every winding, discerns every point, discriminates every shade, proves himself master of the subject, and lord of the aim.
5. (electrical) A length of wire wound around the core of an electrical transformer.
6. (music, lutherie, bowmaking) Lapping.

Translations

Adjective

winding (comparative more winding, superlative most winding)

1. Twisting, turning or sinuous.
2. Spiral or helical.

Translations

Etymology 2

From wind +? -ing, from wind (“movement of air”), as the wind was used to assist turning.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?w?nd??/

Verb

winding

1. present participle of wind

Noun

winding (countable and uncountable, plural windings)

1. The act or process of winding (turning a boat etc. around).

Derived terms

• winding hole

Anagrams

• dwining