<B>spiny-skinned, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> having or covered with skin consisting of spinelike projections; echinodermatous. <BR> <I>Ex. Like the familiar starfish, sea urchins, and sand dollars, they are in the general category of spiny-skinned animals known as echinoderms (Science News Letter).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="spiracle">
<B>spiracle, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a small opening for breathing. Insects take in air through tiny spiracles. A whale breathes through a spiracle in the top of its head. A shark or ray gives off water through a spiracle. <DD><B> 2. </B>an opening in the ground by which underground vapors are given off; air hole. </DL>
<A NAME="spiracular">
<B>spiracular, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>of or having to do with spiracles. <DD><B> 2. </B>serving as a spiracle. </DL>
<A NAME="spiraea">
<B>spiraea, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a shrub that has clusters of small white, pink, or red flowers with five petals. The spiraeas comprise a genus of plants of the rose family. The bridal wreath and meadowsweet are two kinds. Also, <B>spirea.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="spiral">
<B>spiral, </B>noun, adjective, verb, <B>-raled,</B> <B>-raling</B> or (especially British) <B>-ralled,</B> <B>-ralling.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>a winding and gradually widening curve or coil. A watch spring is a spiral. The thread of a screw is a spiral. <DD><B> 2. </B>one of the separate circles or coils of a spiral object. <DD><B> 3. </B>(Figurative.) a continuous and expanding increase or decrease, as in prices, wages, or employment. <BR> <I>Ex. an inflationary spiral, a deflationary spiral.</I> <DD><B> 4. </B>the descent of an aircraft in a spiral path. <DD><B> 5. </B>(Football.) a kick or pass in which the ball spins through the air on its longer axis. <DD><B> 6. </B><B>=helix.</B> <DD><I>adj. </I> <B>1. </B>winding or coiling around a fixed center while moving away or toward it; coiled; helical. <BR> <I>Ex. a spiral staircase. A snail's shell has a spiral shape.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>having to do with or like a spiral or coil. <DD><I>v.i. </I> <B>1. </B>to move or wind in a spiral. <BR> <I>Ex. (Figurative.) There is no security for anyone in a spiraling arms race (Saturday Review).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>(of an airplane) to descend in a spiral course. <DD><I>v.t. </I> to form into a spiral; approach in a spiral. <BR> <I>Ex. The plane spiraled the airport before landing.</I> adv. <B>spirally.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="spiralbinding">
<B>spiral binding,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a binding for a notebook, booklet, or the like in which a spiral coil of wire or plastic passes through holes on the edge of each page to hold the pages together. </DL>
<A NAME="spiralbound">
<B>spiral-bound, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> bound with a spiral coil of wire or plastic looping the pages together. <BR> <I>Ex. a spiral-bound notebook.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="spiralgalaxy">
<B>spiral galaxy</B> or <B>nebula,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a galaxy or nebula appearing as one or more spiraling streams issuing from a center. <BR> <I>Ex. Our Milky Way system seems to be a spiral galaxy, presumably very much resembling in outline and appearance the Great Spiral in Andromeda (Bart J. Bok).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="spiralgear">
<B>spiral gear,</B> <B>=helical gear.</B></DL>
<A NAME="spiraliform">
<B>spiraliform, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>having the form of a spiral. <DD><B> 2. </B>having to do with a type of decoration based on the spiral, common in primitive art, especially the Mycenaean in Greece and Crete. </DL>
<A NAME="spirality">
<B>spirality, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> spiral quality; degree of being spiral. </DL>
<B>spire</B> (1), noun, verb, <B>spired,</B> <B>spiring.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> <B>1a. </B>the top part of a tower or steeple that narrows to a point. <BR> <I>Ex. The steeple, which has a spire to it, is placed in the middle of the church (Laurence Sterne).</I> <DD><B> b. </B>a tall structure rising from a tower, roof, or other structure, and ending in a slender point; steeple. <BR> <I>Ex. that sweet city with her dreaming spires (Matthew Arnold).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>(Figurative.) anything tapering or pointed. <BR> <I>Ex. the spire of an icicle, a spire of flame, the spire of a sword.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>(Figurative.) the highest point of something; peak; summit. <BR> <I>Ex. The sunset shone on the rocky spires of the mountains.</I> <DD><B> 4a. </B>a young or tender shoot or sprout. <DD><B> b. </B>a blade or shoot of grass, etc.; spear. <DD><I>v.i. </I> to shoot up; rise into a spire. <BR> <I>Ex. (Figurative.) The crowded firs spire from thy shores (Samuel Taylor Coleridge).</I> <DD><I>v.t. </I> to furnish with a spire or spires. adj. <B>spirelike.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="spire">
<B>spire</B> (2), noun, verb, <B>spired,</B> <B>spiring.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>a coil; spiral. <DD><B> 2. </B>a single twist of a coil or spiral. <DD><B> 3. </B>the upper part of a spiral shell, excluding the body whorl. <DD><I>v.i. </I> to wind spirally; move with a coiling or spiral movement. <BR> <I>Ex. The worms ... spired about his bones (William Butler Yeats). (Figurative.) The smoke spired upwards.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="spirea">
<B>spirea, </B>noun. <B>=spiraea.</B></DL>
<A NAME="spired">
<B>spired</B> (1), adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>having a tapering, sharp-pointed top; peaked. <BR> <I>Ex. the spired roof of a silo.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>having or carrying a spire. <BR> <I>Ex. a spired tower.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="spired">
<B>spired</B> (2), adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> having a spire or coil. <BR> <I>Ex. a spired shell.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="spireme">
<B>spireme, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the threadlike coils appearing in the nucleus of a cell at the beginning of the prophase of mitosis, which give rise to the chromosomes. </DL>
<A NAME="spiricle">
<B>spiricle, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Botany.) one of the delicate coiled threads on the surface of certain seeds and fruits, which uncoil when wet. </DL>
<A NAME="spiriferous">
<B>spiriferous, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>having a spire, as a univalve shell. <DD><B> 2. </B>having spiral appendages, as a brachiopod. </DL>
<A NAME="spirillum">
<B>spirillum, </B>noun, pl. <B>-rilla.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>any bacteria of a group having long, rigid, spirally twisted forms and bearing a tuft of flagella. They comprise a genus of bacteria. <DD><B> 2. </B>any one of various spirally twisted microorganisms. </DL>
<A NAME="spirit">
<B>spirit, </B>noun, verb, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>the immaterial part of man; soul. <BR> <I>Ex. He is present in spirit, though absent in body. Many religions teach that at death the spirit leaves the body. And the spirit shall return unto God who gave it (Ecclesiastes 12:7).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>man's moral, religious, or emotional nature. <BR> <I>Ex. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me (Psalms 51:10).</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>a supernatural being. God is a spirit. Ghosts and fairies are spirits. <BR> <I>Ex. ... the Spirit of Christmas Past (Dickens).</I> (SYN) phantom, specter, apparition. <DD><B> 4. </B>a person; personality. <BR> <I>Ex. Hers is a brave spirit. He was one of the leading spirits of the revolution. Robert E. Lee was a noble spirit.</I> <DD><B> 5. </B>an influence that stirs up and rouses. <BR> <I>Ex. a spirit of reform, the spirit of independence. A spirit of progress is good for people.</I> <DD><B> 6. </B>courage; vigor; liveliness. <BR> <I>Ex. a man of spirit. A race horse must have spirit.</I> (SYN) animation, mettle, vivacity. <DD><B> 7. </B>enthusiasm and loyalty. <BR> <I>Ex. school spirit.</I> (SYN) ardor, zeal. <DD><B> 8a. </B>what is really meant as opposed to what is said or written. <BR> <I>Ex. The spirit of a law is more important than its words.</I> <DD><B> b. </B>the prevailing character, quality, or tendency. <BR> <I>Ex. the spirit of our institutions.</I> <DD><B> 9. </B>any one of various mordant solutions used in dyeing, usually prepared from tin salts. <DD><B> 10. </B>(Chemistry, Obsolete.) a liquid essence or extract of a substance, especially one obtained by distillation. <DD><B> 11. </B>(Alchemy.) one of four substances: sulfur, sal ammoniac, mercury, or orpiment. <DD><B> 12. </B><B>Spirit,</B> God (in the belief of Christian Scientists). <DD><I>v.t. </I> <B>1. </B>to carry (away or off) secretly. <BR> <I>Ex. The child has been spirited away.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>to stir or cheer up; encourage; cheer. <DD><B> 3. </B>to produce as if by magic; conjure (up). <DD><I>adj. </I> <B>1. </B>of or having to do with spirits or spiritualism. <BR> <I>Ex. the spirit world.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>of or having to do with alcoholic spirits. <BR><I>expr. <B>out of spirits,</B> </I>sad or gloomy. <BR> <I>Ex. Who can be out of spirits in such weather? (Edward G. Bulwer-Lytton).</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>spirits,</B> <DD><B> a. </B>a state of mind; disposition; temper; humor; mood. </I> <I>Ex. He is in good spirits.</I> <DD><B> b. </B>vigor; liveliness; cheerfulness. <BR> <I>Ex. The horse would roll when he was bringing him up from the stable; he's so full of spirits (Harriet Beecher Stowe).</I> <DD><B> c. </B>a solution of a volatile substance in alcohol. <BR> <I>Ex. spirits of camphor.</I> <DD><B> d. </B>a strong alcoholic liquor. Whiskey and brandy are spirits. <BR> <I>Ex. He drinks beer and wine but no spirits.</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>the Spirit,</B> <DD><B> a. </B>God. </I> <I>Ex. The apostolic power with which the Spirit Has filled its elect vessels (Shelley).</I> <DD><B> b. </B>the Holy Ghost. <BR> <I>Ex. ... if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live (Romans 8:13).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="spiritchild">
<B>spirit-child, </B>noun, pl. <B>-children.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> the form in which every individual was created by God before the earth was made, according to the teachings of the Mormon Church. </DL>
<A NAME="spiritduplicator">
<B>spirit duplicator,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a duplicator that uses a master sheet on which the image to be copied is impregnated with a dye, a portion of which is dissolved by an alcohol-base fluid and transferred to the copy paper. </DL>
