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spiral

noun
🔊/ˈspaɪrəl/
🔊/ˈspaɪrəl/
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  1. a shape or design, consisting of a continuous curved line that winds around a central point, with each curve further away from the centre螺旋形；螺旋式
    • The birds circled in a slow spiral above the house.鸟儿在房子上空缓缓盘旋。🔊🔊
    • A spiral of smoke rose from the chimney.烟囱中冒出一团烟雾。
    Topics Colours and Shapesc1
  2. a continuous harmful increase or decrease in something, that gradually gets faster and faster逐渐加速上升（或下降）
    • How can we halt the destructive spiral of violence in the inner cities?我们怎样才能遏止内城区日益严重的破坏性暴力行为？
    • measures to control the inflationary spiral控制日益恶化的通货膨胀的措施
    • the upward/downward spiral of sales日渐上升／下降的销售额
    • the vicious spiral of rising wages and prices工资和价格上涨的恶性循环
    see also death spiral
    Extra Examples
    • The economy continued its downward spiral.经济继续其螺旋式下降的走势。
    • There is a risk that the policy may trigger an inflationary spiral.这一政策有可能引发通货膨胀螺旋式上升的风险。
    • to halt the vicious downward spiral of drug abuse制止药物滥用的恶性发展趋势
    • The book gives a harrowing account of a downward spiral of drink, drugs and despair.这本书对从酗酒、吸毒再到绝望的沉沦之路作了令人心痛的描述。
    • The country is caught in a vicious spiral of rising wages and prices.该国陷入了工资和物价持续上涨的恶性循环之中。
    Topics Change, cause and effectc1
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • vicious
    • downward
    • upward
    • …
    verb + spiral
    • create
    • trigger
    • continue
    • …
    preposition
    • spiral of
    See full entry
    3. Word Originmid 16th cent. (as an adjective): from medieval Latin spiralis, from Latin spira ‘coil’, from Greek speira ‘a coil’.

spiral

adjective
🔊/ˈspaɪrəl/
🔊/ˈspaɪrəl/
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  1. moving in a continuous curve that winds around a central point螺旋形的；螺旋式的
    • A snail's shell is spiral in form.蜗牛壳呈螺旋形。🔊🔊
    Topics Colours and Shapesc1
    Word Originmid 16th cent. (as an adjective): from medieval Latin spiralis, from Latin spira ‘coil’, from Greek speira ‘a coil’.

spiral

verb
🔊/ˈspaɪrəl/
🔊/ˈspaɪrəl/
Verb Forms
present simple I / you / we / they spiral
🔊/ˈspaɪrəl/
🔊/ˈspaɪrəl/
he / she / it spirals
🔊/ˈspaɪrəlz/
🔊/ˈspaɪrəlz/
past simple spiralled
🔊/ˈspaɪrəld/
🔊/ˈspaɪrəld/
past participle spiralled
🔊/ˈspaɪrəld/
🔊/ˈspaɪrəld/
(North American English usually) past simple spiraled
🔊/ˈspaɪrəld/
🔊/ˈspaɪrəld/
(North American English usually) past participle spiraled
🔊/ˈspaɪrəld/
🔊/ˈspaɪrəld/
-ing form spiralling
🔊/ˈspaɪrəlɪŋ/
🔊/ˈspaɪrəlɪŋ/
(North American English usually) -ing form spiraling
🔊/ˈspaɪrəlɪŋ/
🔊/ˈspaɪrəlɪŋ/
Phrasal Verbs
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  1. [intransitive] (+ adv./prep.) to move in continuous circles, going upwards or downwards螺旋式上升（或下降）；盘旋上升（或下降）
    • Smoke spiralled into the sky.浓烟滚滚而起。
    • The plane spiralled down to the ground.飞机盘旋降落。🔊🔊
  2. [intransitive] to increase rapidly急剧增长
    • the spiralling cost of healthcare急剧上涨的医疗费用
    • + adv./prep. Prices are spiralling out of control.物价飞涨，失去控制。🔊🔊
    Topics Change, cause and effectc1, Moneyc1
    3. Word Originmid 16th cent. (as an adjective): from medieval Latin spiralis, from Latin spira ‘coil’, from Greek speira ‘a coil’.