helical

adjective

he·li·cal | \ ˈhe-li-kəl

How to pronounce helical (audio)

, ˈhē-

How to pronounce helical (audio)

\

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 Hills Construction foreman Adam Beazer secures helical stainless steel rods to roof rafters after drilling the rods into the brick walls for seismic reinforcement, Mar. 11, 2021. — Brian Maffly, The Salt Lake Tribune, "A year after Magna earthquake, here’s what Utahns are doing — or should be — to prepare for the big one," 14 Mar. 2021 Jonas Hultman’s jaw-dropping helical staircase is the apartment’s centerpiece. — Joshua Levine, WSJ, "A Look Into the Magical Apartment of the Chairman of Acne Studios," 6 Mar. 2021 Instead of the layers of material neatly stacking one on top of another, the layers are twisted, almost like the helical structure of DNA. — Matt Simon, Wired, "The Mantis Shrimp Inspires a New Material—Made by Bacteria," 22 Feb. 2021 These are rotating, helical appendages which act as propellers, so flagellate bacteria are more mobile than those lacking such equipment. — The Economist, "Microbiology Viruses hitch lifts on some bacteria, the better to kill others," 16 Jan. 2021 The building will be supported by helical piers — an alternative stilt-like construction method often used at sites with foundation issues. — Eddie Morales, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Glendale's rezoning approval for car wash 'took a lot of convincing,' developer said," 28 Nov. 2020 Best of all are helical cutter heads, which have a couple dozen small square knives that can deliver a near-perfect surface. — Bob Beacham, chicagotribune.com, "The best planer of 2020," 6 Oct. 2020 Axes of tidal turbines can be vertical or horizontal; the devices resemble tabletop fans, Archimedean screws, the helical blades of push lawn mowers and even wind turbines. — Greta Rybus, Smithsonian Magazine, "The Push for Tidal Power Faces Its Biggest Challenge Yet," 10 Apr. 2020 T)—that make up the genetic material's ladder-like helical shape. — Courtney Linder, Popular Mechanics, "DNA Is Millions of Times More Efficient Than Your Computer's Hard Drive," 25 July 2020

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

Statistics for helical

Last Updated

19 Mar 2021

Cite this Entry

“Helical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/helical. Accessed 21 Apr. 2021.

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More Definitions for helical

helical

adjective

he·li·cal | \ ˈhel-i-kəl

, ˈhē-li-

\

Medical Definition of helical

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

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