noun, verb ·Moderate ·College level

Definitions

Noun

1. 1
   A curve on the surface of a cylinder or cone such that its angle to a plane perpendicular to the axis is constant; the three-dimensional curve seen in a screw or a spiral staircase.
2. 2
   a structure consisting of something wound in a continuous series of loops wordnet
3. 3
   A small volute under the abacus of a Corinthian capital.
4. 4
   a curve that lies on the surface of a cylinder or cone and cuts the element at a constant angle wordnet
5. 5
   The incurved rim of the external ear.

   "helix piercing"

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6. 6
   An upside down midair 360° spin in playboating.

Verb

1. 1
   To form or cause to form a helix.

   "A large positive inclination gives a chip which will helix out of the space between the face mill and the workpiece."

Synonyms

All synonyms

coilspiralspiralcirruscoilcorkscrew

Example

More examples

"The double helix that encodes our genome is an elegant structure."

Etymology

From Latin helix, from Ancient Greek ἕλιξ (hélix, “something twisted or spiral”).

Related phrases

Boerdijk-Coxeter helixalpha helixdouble helixself-helixingleft handedright handedspiral staircasethree dimensionalupside down

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.