| See under spiral (def. 7). |
[spahy-ruh
l] 
noun, adjective, verb, -raled, -ral⋅ing or (especially British) -ralled, -ral⋅ling.| 1. | Geometry. 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. | Aeronautics. 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. | Economics. a continuous increase in costs, wages, prices, etc. (inflationary spiral), or a decrease in costs, wages, prices, etc. (deflationary spiral). |
| 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. |
| 12. | to take a spiral form or course. |
| 13. | to advance or increase steadily; rise: Costs have been spiraling all year. |
| 14. | Aeronautics. to fly an airplane through a spiral course. |
| 15. | to cause to take a spiral form or course. |
spiral spi·ral (spī'rəl)
adj.
Coiling or developing around an axis in a constantly changing series of planes; helical. n.
A structure in the shape of a coil. v. spi·raled or spi·ralled, spi·ral·ing or spi·ral·ling, spi·rals or spi·rals
To take the form or course of a spiral.