rhizoverbBeta
DictionaryRoot: -alis
Latin

-alis

of, relating to

Forms

  • -alis
  • -aris — Latin variant especially used when the stem already contained l, avoiding a repeated l sound.
  • -al — English ending borrowed through French or directly from Latin.
  • -ar — English ending continuing Latin -aris.

Origin

An older Latin adjective-forming suffix; its more remote ancestry is uncertain.

Note

Expresses a relationship without specifying its kind: material, place, purpose, and other connections are possible.

256 / 291
noun / adjective / verb

spiral

SPY-rul/ˈspaɪrəl/

A course winding around a center while advancing.

The blue cord forms a flat spiral winding outward from its center.

A single blue cord arranged flat in a smooth open spiral, winding outward from a central endpoint with steadily increasing distance from the center.
Etymology
spirLatincoil, twist
+alLatinof, relating to

Spira supplies the image of a coil. An adjective describing something coiling around a fixed center became the noun for a curve that winds around a point while moving progressively farther from it.

In context

Leslie Guzman21:48
it grows faster on the outside of the curve and is forced into a spiral
Shapes in Nature | Old Documentary | Natural Forms, Patterns, Shapes | Seashells, Plants & Animals

More examples

  • A spiral staircase winds around a central post.
  • The eagle spirals upward on a warm air current.
  • Repair costs spiral out of control as new problems appear.

Forms

spiral · spirals · spiraled · spiraling

Similar words

coil
Emphasizes repeated loops, often in rope, wire, or tubing.
helix
Specifically a three-dimensional curve advancing around an axis, like a spring.