spire

¹

[ spahyuhr ]

noun

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.
3. a tapering, pointed part of something; a tall, sharp-pointed summit, peak, or the like:

   the distant spires of the mountains.

4. the highest point or summit of something:

   the spire of a hill;

   the spire of one's profession.

5. a sprout or shoot of a plant, as an acrospire of grain or a blade or spear of grass.

verb (used without object)

, spired, spir·ing.

1. to shoot or rise into spirelike form; rise or extend to a height in the manner of a spire.

spire

²

[ spahyuhr ]

noun

1. a coil or spiral.
2. one of the series of convolutions of a coil or spiral.
3. Zoology. the upper, convoluted part of a spiral shell, above the aperture.

spire

¹

/ spaɪə /

noun

1. Also calledsteeple 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. a slender tapering shoot or stem, such as a blade of grass
3. the apical part of any tapering formation; summit

verb

1. intr to assume the shape of a spire; point up
2. tr to furnish with a spire or spires

spire

²

/ spaɪə; spaɪəˈrɪfərəs /

noun

1. any of the coils or turns in a spiral structure
2. the apical part of a spiral shell

Derived Forms

• ˈspiry, adjective
• spiriferous, adjective

Other Words From

• spireless adjective
• un·spiring adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of spire¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English spir(e), Old English spīr “spike (of grain), blade (of grass)”; cognate with Middle Dutch spier, Middle Low German spīr “shoot, sprout, sprig,” Old Norse spīra “stalk”

Origin of spire²

First recorded in 1565–75; from Latin spīra, from Greek speîra; spiral

Word History and Origins

Origin of spire¹

Old English spīr blade; related to Old Norse spīra stalk, Middle Low German spīr shoot, Latin spīna thorn

Origin of spire²

C16: from Latin spīra a coil, from Greek speira

Example Sentences

At the time, the interview became famous after the pair talked about seeing the 123m metre spire in Salisbury.

From BBC

President Putin denied any involvement and the two accused men appeared on Russian TV, where they insisted they had visited Salisbury as tourists who wanted to see the cathedral spire.

From BBC

A fire engulfed the historic cathedral in Paris in 2019, toppling its spire and destroying most of its roof, while blazes badly damaged the Scottish art school's Mackintosh Building in 2014 and 2018.

From BBC

Beneath a church spire, a royal shrine was torn apart.

From BBC

Lego, the biggest toy company in the world, on Saturday released a model of the Cathedral of Notre-Dame, complete with rose windows, bell towers and a central spire surrounded by statues.

From New York Times

Related Words

• steeple