double helix

noun

: a helix or spiral consisting of two strands in the surface of a cylinder that coil around its axis

especially : the structural arrangement of DNA in space that consists of paired polynucleotide strands stabilized by cross-links between purine and pyrimidine bases compare alpha-helix, watson-crick model

double-helical

ˌdə-bəl-ˈhe-li-kəl 

-ˈhē-

adjective

Examples of double helix in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Since Finch’s death from brain cancer at age 59 last month, her bandmates, friends, and peers have been remembering how music and friendship formed the double helix of her soul. — Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 18 Aug. 2026

The ride’s 3,022 feet of track, which offers scenic views of the Ozark Mountains, features a 910-degree, double helix into a mine shaft. — Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 14 Aug. 2026

Four days later, James Watson, Francis Crick, and Maurice Wilkins won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their discovery of DNA’s double helix. — Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026

Some of the design and engineering, like the double helix staircase, is said to have been inspired by the work of Leonardo da Vinci. — Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 12 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1954, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for double helix

• felix

Kids Definition

double helix

noun

: the arrangement in space of DNA that resembles a spirally twisted ladder with the sides made up of the sugar and phosphate units of the two nucleotide strands and the rungs made up of the pyrimidine and purine bases extending into the center and joined by hydrogen bonds

Medical Definition

double helix

noun

: a helix or spiral consisting of two strands in the surface of a cylinder that coil around its axis

especially : the structural arrangement of DNA in space that consists of paired polynucleotide strands stabilized by cross-links between purine and pyrimidine bases compare alpha-helix, watson-crick model

double-helical

-ˈhel-i-kəl  -ˈhē-li- 

adjective