helical
adj.shaped like a spiral or a spring. You use this to describe things that twist around a central line, like a DNA strand or a screw.
adj.shaped like a helix, or a spiral that winds around a central axis. Often describes structures in biology, engineering, or mathematics.
“The DNA molecule has a famous helical shape.”
“The staircase was designed with a helical pattern, allowing it to rise smoothly within a small footprint.”
“The satellite's trajectory followed a helical path around the planet, maintaining a stable orbit while gradually adjusting its altitude for the final descent.”
“One question is whether the helical structure is also present at the micro- and nanoscale.”
By surface analysis, helic(o)- + -al.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.