spiral
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a curve that winds around a central point, getting wider as it goes.
n.a curve on a plane that winds around a fixed center point at a continuously increasing or decreasing distance.
Simple“The shell of the snail was a perfect brown spiral.”
In context“The architect designed a grand spiral staircase that served as the focal point of the museum's central atrium.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a situation that gets worse and worse very quickly and feels impossible to stop.
n.a continuous and often accelerating decline or increase, typically one that is perceived as being out of control.
Simple“The company entered a downward spiral after its main product failed.”
In context“Economists feared that the rising cost of energy would trigger an inflationary spiral that the central bank could not easily contain.”
- 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to increase or decrease very quickly in a way that cannot be controlled.
v.to increase or decrease rapidly and uncontrollably, often used in economic or emotional contexts.
Simple“Prices began to spiral out of control during the summer months.”
In context“After the scandal broke, the politician's approval ratings began to spiral, leading to an emergency meeting with his advisors.”
- 04 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.having the shape of a curve that winds around a center.
adj.possessing a helical or spiral form; typically used as an attributive adjective before a noun.
Simple“She bought a spiral notebook for her chemistry class.”
In context“The galaxy's spiral arms contain a high concentration of young, blue stars and interstellar gas.”
“Instead of running in a straight line, the waveguides are arranged in spirals.”
From Middle French spirale, from Medieval Latin spiralis, from Latin spīra, from Ancient Greek σπεῖρα (speîra, “wreath, coil, twist”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.