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 ear
3 : 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