spiral
- spiral
▪ I. spiral spi‧ral 1 [ˈspaɪərəl ǁ ˈspaɪr-] noun [countable]
a process, usually a harmful one, in which something continuously rises, falls, gets worse etc, often starting off slowly but gradually speeding up until it is out of control:
• Sales are on a downward spiral.
• The current oil price rise may cause an inflationary spiral and, in the end, a recession.
a situation in which rising prices cause wages to rise, which means that goods cost more to make so that prices rise again etc:
• There was anxiety that Germany would be drawn into a wage-price spiral.
[m0] ▪ II. spiral spiral 2 verb spiralled PTandPPX spiralling PRESPARTX spiraled PTandPPX spiraling PRESPARTX [intransitive]
if debt or the cost of something spirals, it increases quickly and uncontrollably:
• Spiralling costs may force staff cuts.
• Inflation is spiralling out of control.
* * *
Ⅰ.
spiral UK US /ˈspaɪərəl/ noun [C]
► a spiral of sth »
The world's two biggest economies are caught in a spiral of borrowing.
»
This year's downward spiral of house prices has depressed the market.
»
My former colleagues have been stuck in a spiral that continues to say, the only way we can continue our profit margins is to cut good journalism, and that is to me a death spiral.
Ⅱ.
spiral UK US /ˈspaɪərəl/ verb [I, usually + adv/prep] (UK -ll-, US -l-)
► (
also spiral up/upward(s)) »
Costs spiral, and the patient is subjected to tests they don't need.
»
Inflation began to spiral upward.
spiral (from sth) to sth »
The country's foreign debt spiralled from $840 million to $2.6 billion.
spiralling (US spiraling)
Financial and business terms.
2012.
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Look at other dictionaries:
spiral — spiral, ale, aux [ spiral, o ] adj. • 1534; lat. scolast. spiralis, de spira → spire ♦ Rare (sauf avec quelques n.) Qui a la forme d une courbe tournant autour d un pôle dont elle s éloigne. Courbe, ligne spirale. Ressort spiral : ressort plat… … Encyclopédie Universelle
Spiral — Spi ral, a. [Cf. F. spiral. See {Spire} a winding line.] 1. Winding or circling round a center or pole and gradually receding from it; as, the spiral curve of a watch spring. [1913 Webster] 2. Winding round a cylinder or imaginary axis, and at… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
spiral — [spī′rəl] adj. [ML spiralis < L spira, a coil < Gr speira: see SPIRE1] 1. circling around a central point in a flat, two dimensional curve that constantly increases (or decreases) in size 2. circling around a central axis in a conical or… … English World dictionary
spiral — SPIRÁL, Ă, spirali, e, s.f., adj. 1. s.f. Curbă plană deschisă care se roteşte (sau se înfăşoară) în jurul unui punct fix; p. ext. obiect care are această formă. 2. adj. Care are formă de spirală (1); spiralat. – Din fr. spiral. Trimis de RACAI,… … Dicționar Român
Spiral — Spi ral, n. [Cf. F. spirale. See {Spiral}, a.] 1. (Geom.) A plane curve, not re[ e]ntrant, described by a point, called the generatrix, moving along a straight line according to a mathematical law, while the line is revolving about a fixed point… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
Spiral — студийный альбом Уэхары Хироми Дата выпуска 16 Января 2006 Жанры Джаз, джаз фьюжн Длительность 73:09 Лейбл … Википедия
spiral — spiral, ale (spi ral, ra l ) adj. 1° Qui a la figure d une spire ou d une spirale. Ligne spirale. Ressorts spiraux. 2° S. m. Terme d horlogerie. Le spiral d une montre, le petit ressort sous l action duquel oscille le balancier qui règle l… … Dictionnaire de la Langue Française d'Émile Littré
spiral — SPIRAL, [spir]ale. adj. Terme de Geometrie, Qui se dit d une ligne qui va tousjours en tournant, & en s esloignant de son premier point. Ligne spirale. ressort spiral. monstre à ressort spiral … Dictionnaire de l'Académie française
spiral — ► ADJECTIVE ▪ winding in a continuous curve around a central point or axis. ► NOUN 1) a spiral curve, shape, or pattern. 2) a progressive rise or fall of prices, wages, etc., each responding to an upward or downward stimulus provided by a… … English terms dictionary
Spiral — bezeichnet eine Spirale, eine Manga Serie und eine darauf basierende Anime Serie, siehe Spiral – Suiri no Kizuna, ein Projekt der Sowjetunion, 1965 bis 1976, zur Entwicklung eines wiederverwendbaren Raumfahrzeuges, siehe MiG 105 … Deutsch Wikipedia
spiral — [adj] curling, winding circling, circular, circumvoluted, cochlear, coiled, corkscrew, curled, helical, helicoid, radial, rolled, screwshaped, scrolled, tendrillar, tortile, voluted, whorled, wound; concept 486 Ant. straight, uncurling, unwinding … New thesaurus
