helix
n.a shape like a corkscrew or a spiral staircase. You see this shape in things like springs or the structure of DNA.
n.a three-dimensional curve that lies on a cylinder or cone, such that its angle to a plane perpendicular to the axis is constant. Often used to describe biological structures or mechanical components.
“The stairs wind upward in a tight helix.”
“Scientists discovered that the structure of DNA is a double helix, resembling a twisted ladder.”
“The architect incorporated a glass helix into the center of the building, allowing natural light to spiral down through every floor of the gallery.”
The plural form can be either 'helixes' or the more technical 'helices'.
“While the cementum layer forms the known left-handed helix, the dentine forms a right-handed helix.”
“Unlike mRNA, which is single-stranded, double-stranded RNA has two chains that form a double helix.”
From Latin helix, from Ancient Greek ἕλιξ (hélix, “something twisted or spiral”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.