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spire¹

(spīr)

1. A top part or structure that tapers upward, such as a rock formation or steeple.

2. A slender, tapering plant part.

v. spired, spir·ing, spires

v.tr.

To furnish with a spire.

v.intr.

To rise and taper steeply.

[Middle English, from Old English spīr.]

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spire1

Norwich Cathedral

Norwich, England

spire²

(spīr)

a. A spiral.

b. A single turn of a spiral; a whorl.

2. The area farthest from the aperture and nearest the apex on a coiled gastropod shell.

[Latin spīra, coil, from Greek speira.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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