helical

he·li·cal | \ ˈhe-li-kəl

How to pronounce helical (audio)

, ˈhē-

How to pronounce helical (audio)

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Definition of helical

: of, relating to, or having the form of a helix broadly : spiral sense 1a

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Examples of helical in a Sentence

Sirius, the brightest star in the heavens, travels a helical path through space.

Recent Examples on the Web The gear for reverse usually has square cut gear teeth instead of the helical cut on the forward gears. — Bob Weber, chicagotribune.com, "Heading off valve buildup in Subaru Forester," 6 Dec. 2019 Thanks much, God Dear Rosalind, Thanks so much for your hard work on unlocking the secret to the helical structure of DNA. — Ali Ruth, The New Yorker, "Office Housework: A History," 7 Nov. 2019 The Si's 205-hp turbocharged 1.5-liter also pairs with a helical-gear limited-slip differential. — Car and Driver, "2019 10Best Cars," 28 Nov. 2018 The task with the helical molecule took about the same amount of time in both environments, however. — Veronique Greenwood, New York Times, "It’s Time for a Chemistry Lesson. Put on Your Virtual Reality Goggles.," 3 July 2018 The microtubules and ropelike filaments that form the cell’s transportation infrastructure feature helical structures, which are vital to their function. — Frank Wilczek, WSJ, "The Peculiar Power of Nature’s Left and Right," 5 July 2018 Still, no matter what their arrangement, the amino acids fold themselves into just a handful of helical shapes and sheets. — Charles S. Cockell, WSJ, "The Limits of Extra-Terrestrial Freakiness," 7 June 2018 Yes, the helical limited-slip differential puts the power down without wasteful wheelspin. — Jim Resnick, Ars Technica, "America finally gets Honda’s best: The 2018 Civic Type R," 22 Jan. 2018 The scientists saw mineral crystals just five nanometers in diameter unexpectedly twisting into and around these collagen strands—forming a helical structure. — Angus Chen, Scientific American, "Core Strength: Extreme “Close Ups” May Help Explain Why Our Bones Are So Strong," 3 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'helical.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries near helical

helical milling

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Cite this Entry

“Helical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/helical. Accessed 28 Feb. 2020.

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