Spira
/ˈspaɪərə/noun
A rare technical noun meaning a coil, spiral, or winding form.
Did you know?The Latin word spīra was borrowed from Greek speîra, a coil or winding band, and is connected to the same classical imagery behind spirals and winding architectural forms.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*sper-
“To turn, twist, or wind; the reconstructed root associated with later spiral imagery.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
σπεῖρα (speîra)
“A coil, winding, spiral, or twisted band.”
Classical Latin
Latin
spīra
“A coil, twist, winding, or spiral; also a winding architectural element.”
Late Latin
Latin
spīra
“A spiral or coil, preserved in technical and scholarly vocabulary.”
Modern English
English
spira
“A rare technical term for a coil, spiral, or winding form.”