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spiralmore about spiral

spiral

 

  3  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Spiral  \Spi"ral\,  n.  [Cf.  F.  spirale.  See  {Spiral},  a.] 
  1.  (Geom.)  A  plane  curve,  not  re["e]ntrant,  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. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  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. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  spiral 
  adj  :  in  the  shape  of  a  coil  [syn:  {coiling},  {helical},  {spiraling}, 
  {volute},  {voluted},  {whorled},  {turbinate}] 
  n  1:  a  plane  curve  traced  by  a  point  circling  about  the  center 
  but  at  ever-greater  distances  from  it 
  2:  a  curve  that  lies  on  the  surface  of  a  cylinder  or  cone  and 
  cuts  the  element  at  a  constant  angle  [syn:  {helix}] 
  3:  a  curve  on  a  plane  that  winds  around  a  center  with  an 
  increasing  distance  from  the  center  [syn:  {volute}] 
  4:  something  wound  in  a  continuous  series  of  loops;  "a  coil  of 
  rope"  [syn:  {coil},  {volute},  {whorl},  {helix}] 
  5:  flying  downward  in  a  helical  path  with  a  large  radius 
  v  1:  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"  [syn:  {gyrate},  {coil}] 
  2:  form  a  spiral;  "The  path  spirals  up  the  mountain" 
  3:  move  in  a  spiral  or  zigzag  course  [syn:  {corkscrew}]




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