Main Entry:

he·lix

Pronunciation:

\ˈhē-liks\

Function:

noun

Inflected Form(s):

plural he·li·ces \ˈhe-lə-ˌsēz, ˈhē-\ also he·lix·es \ˈhē-lik-səz\

Etymology:

Latin, from Greek; akin to Greek eilyein to roll, wrap — more at voluble

Date:

1563

1: something spiral in form: as a: an ornamental volute b: a coil formed by winding wire around a uniform tube 2: the incurved rim of the external ear3: a curve traced on a cylinder or cone by the rotation of a point crossing its right sections at a constant oblique angle ; broadly : spiral 1b