But will developers or new congregations want to take on old pipe organs and the upkeep of 1880-era church spires?—Jacques Kelly, Baltimore Sun, 20 July 2024 The runners – whose t-shirts and shorts are muddied with sand and sea – splash through shallow water towards the Scottish coastal town of St Andrews, which slowly appears as a series of spires and rooftops on the horizon.—George Ramsay, CNN, 19 July 2024 In the second episode of the series, Smith climbs every flight of the Burj Khalifa, then climbs up to the top of the spire.—Katherine McLaughlin, Architectural Digest, 11 July 2024 Go deeper: Huge off-leash dog park opens at Whitewater Center
Rock climb one of the 95+ routes
The Whitewater Center’s outdoor rock climbing complex is one of the largest in the region with 35-45 top-rope routes, nearly 50 bouldering problems and a 46-foot tall spire.—Ashley Mahoney, Axios, 9 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for spire
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'spire.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Noun (1)
Middle English, from Old English spīr; akin to Middle Dutch spier blade of grass
Noun (2)
Latin spira coil, from Greek speira; perhaps akin to Greek sparton rope, esparto
First Known Use
Noun (1)
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
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