spire


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spire 1

 (spīr)
n.
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.]

spire 2

 (spīr)
n.
1.
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.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

spire

(spaɪə)
n
1. (Architecture) Also called: steeple a tall structure that tapers upwards to a point, esp one on a tower or roof or one that forms the upper part of a steeple
2. (Botany) a slender tapering shoot or stem, such as a blade of grass
3. the apical part of any tapering formation; summit
vb
4. (intr) to assume the shape of a spire; point up
5. (Building) (tr) to furnish with a spire or spires
[Old English spīr blade; related to Old Norse spīra stalk, Middle Low German spīr shoot, Latin spīna thorn]

spire

(spaɪə)
n
1. any of the coils or turns in a spiral structure
2. (Zoology) the apical part of a spiral shell
[C16: from Latin spīra a coil, from Greek speira]
spiriferous adj
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

spire1

(spaɪər)

n., v. spired, spir•ing. n.
1. a tall, acutely pointed pyramidal roof or rooflike construction upon a tower, roof, etc.
2. a similar construction forming the upper part of a steeple. See illus. at steeple.
3. a tall, sharp-pointed summit, peak, or the like.
4. the highest point or summit.
5. a sprout or shoot of a plant.
v.i.
6. to shoot or rise into spirelike form.
[before 1000; Middle English; Old English spīr spike, blade, c. Middle Dutch spier, Middle Low German spīr shoot, sprig, Old Norse spīra stalk]
spired, adj.

spire2

(spaɪər)

n.
1. a coil or spiral.
2. one of the series of convolutions of a spiral.
3. Zool. the upper, convoluted part of a spiral shell, above the aperture.
[1565–75; < Latin spīra < Greek speîra; see spiral]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

spire

- In Old English, it meant "stalk" or "stem."
See also related terms for stalk.

spire

, steeple - A spire is the tall pointed roof of a tower or the tall pointed structure on top of a steeple; a steeple is the tower plus the spire.
See also related terms for tower.
Farlex Trivia Dictionary. © 2012 Farlex, Inc. All rights reserved.

spire


Past participle: spired
Gerund: spiring

Imperative
spire
spire
Present
I spire
you spire
he/she/it spires
we spire
you spire
they spire
Preterite
I spired
you spired
he/she/it spired
we spired
you spired
they spired
Present Continuous
I am spiring
you are spiring
he/she/it is spiring
we are spiring
you are spiring
they are spiring
Present Perfect
I have spired
you have spired
he/she/it has spired
we have spired
you have spired
they have spired
Past Continuous
I was spiring
you were spiring
he/she/it was spiring
we were spiring
you were spiring
they were spiring
Past Perfect
I had spired
you had spired
he/she/it had spired
we had spired
you had spired
they had spired
Future
I will spire
you will spire
he/she/it will spire
we will spire
you will spire
they will spire
Future Perfect
I will have spired
you will have spired
he/she/it will have spired
we will have spired
you will have spired
they will have spired
Future Continuous
I will be spiring
you will be spiring
he/she/it will be spiring
we will be spiring
you will be spiring
they will be spiring
Present Perfect Continuous
I have been spiring
you have been spiring
he/she/it has been spiring
we have been spiring
you have been spiring
they have been spiring
Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been spiring
you will have been spiring
he/she/it will have been spiring
we will have been spiring
you will have been spiring
they will have been spiring
Past Perfect Continuous
I had been spiring
you had been spiring
he/she/it had been spiring
we had been spiring
you had been spiring
they had been spiring
Conditional
I would spire
you would spire
he/she/it would spire
we would spire
you would spire
they would spire
Past Conditional
I would have spired
you would have spired
he/she/it would have spired
we would have spired
you would have spired
they would have spired
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.spire - a tall tower that forms the superstructure of a building (usually a church or temple) and that tapers to a point at the topspire - a tall tower that forms the superstructure of a building (usually a church or temple) and that tapers to a point at the top
church service, church - a service conducted in a house of worship; "don't be late for church"
pinnacle - (architecture) a slender upright spire at the top of a buttress of tower
tower - a structure taller than its diameter; can stand alone or be attached to a larger building
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

spire

noun steeple, turret, pillar, column, skyscraper, belfry, obelisk He saw the spire ahead through the trees.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
Translations
قِمَّةٌ مُسْتَدِقَةقِمَّه مُسْتَدِقَّه
štíhlá věžvěž
spir
huippukärkiterävähuippuinen torni
toranj
spíra
尖塔
뾰족탑
smailėšpilis
smailetornis
štíhla veža
spira
ngọn tháp

spire

[ˈspaɪəʳ] Naguja f
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

spire

[ˈspaɪər] n [church] → flèche f, aiguille f
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

spire

n (of church)Turmspitze f, → Turm m
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

spire

[ˈspaɪəʳ] nguglia
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

spire

(ˈspaiə) noun
a tall, pointed tower, especially one built on the roof of a church.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.

spire

قِمَّةٌ مُسْتَدِقَة věž spir Turmspitze σπείρα aguja terävähuippuinen torni flèche toranj guglia 尖塔 뾰족탑 torenspits spir iglica coruchéu, torre шпиль spira สิ่งก่อสร้างสูงรูปกรวยที่เป็นส่วนหนึ่งของโบถส์ kilise kulesinin sivri tepesi ngọn tháp 尖顶
Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009
References in classic literature ?
Each spire is surmounted by a statue six and a half feet high.
And if we enter the interior of the edifice, who has overthrown that colossus of Saint Christopher, proverbial for magnitude among statues, as the grand hall of the Palais de Justice was among halls, as the spire of Strasbourg among spires?
For as in landscape gardening, a spire, cupola, monument, or tower of some sort, is deemed almost indispensable to the completion of the scene; so no face can be physiognomically in keeping without the elevated open-work belfry of the nose.
IN the evening I started, and drove out to sea before a gentle wind from the southwest, slowly, steadily; and the island grew smaller and smaller, and the lank spire of smoke dwindled to a finer and finer line against the hot sunset.
Of course, there was no perspective whatever, which only gave it a peculiar charm to Rose, for in one place a lovely lady, with blue knitting-needles in her hair, sat directly upon the spire of a stately pagoda.
The tower of old Saint Saviour's Church, and the spire of Saint Magnus, so long the giant-warders of the ancient bridge, were visible in the gloom; but the forest of shipping below bridge, and the thickly scattered spires of churches above, were nearly all hidden from sight.
We visited the principal church, also--a curious old structure, with a towerlike spire adorned with all sorts of grotesque images.
They seemed to be falling right into the middle of a big city which had many tall buildings with glass domes and sharp-pointed spires. These spires were like great spear-points, and if they tumbled upon one of them they were likely to suffer serious injury.
This enclosure, all green and gold and glittering with precious gems, was indeed a wonderful sight to greet our travelers, who first observed it from the top of a little hill; but beyond the wall was the vast city it surrounded, and hundreds of jeweled spires, domes and minarets, flaunting flags and banners, reared their crests far above the towers of the gateways.
No rays from the holy heaven come down On the long night-time of that town; But light from out the lurid sea Streams up the turrets silently - Gleams up the pinnacles far and free - Up domes - up spires - up kingly halls - Up fanes - up Babylon-like walls - Up shadowy long-forgotten bowers Of scultured ivy and stone flowers - Up many and many a marvellous shrine Whose wreathed friezes intertwine The viol, the violet, and the vine.
The hills ran up clear above the vegetation in spires of naked rock.
In the valley beneath lay the city they had just left, its more prominent buildings showing as in an isometric drawing--among them the broad cathedral tower, with its Norman windows and immense length of aisle and nave, the spires of St Thomas's, the pinnacled tower of the College, and, more to the right, the tower and gables of the ancient hospice, where to this day the pilgrim may receive his dole of bread and ale.