— spirality /spuy ral"i tee/ , n. — spirally , adv.
/spuy"reuhl/ , n., adj., v., spiraled, spiraling or ( esp. Brit. ) spiralled, spiralling .
n.
1. Geom. a plane curve generated by a point moving around a fixed point while constantly receding from or approaching it.
2. a helix.
3. a single circle or ring of a spiral or helical curve or object.
4. a spiral or helical object, formation, or form.
5. Aeron. a maneuver in which an airplane descends in a helix of small pitch and large radius, with the angle of attack within that of the normal flight range.
6. Football. a type of kick or pass in which the ball turns on its longer axis as it flies through the air.
7. Econ. a continuous increase in costs, wages, prices, etc. (inflationary spiral) , or a decrease in costs, wages, prices, etc. (deflationary spiral) .
adj.
8. running continuously around a fixed point or center while constantly receding from or approaching it; coiling in a single plane: a spiral curve.
9. coiling around a fixed line or axis in a constantly changing series of planes; helical.
10. of or of the nature of a spire or coil.
11. bound with a spiral binding; spiral-bound: a spiral notebook.
v.i.
12. to take a spiral form or course.
13. to advance or increase steadily; rise: Costs have been spiraling all year.
14. Aeron. to fly an airplane through a spiral course.
v.t.
15. to cause to take a spiral form or course.
[ 1545-55; spiralis, equiv. to L spir ( a ) coil ( speîra anything coiled, wreathed, or twisted; see SPIRE 2 ) + -alis -AL 1 ]