Spire

Spire
Spire Spire, n. [OE. spire, spir, a blade of grass, a young shoot, AS. sp[=i]r; akin to G. spier a blade of grass, Dan. spire a sprout, sprig, Sw. spira a spar, Icel. sp[=i]ra.] 1. A slender stalk or blade in vegetation; as, a spire grass or of wheat. [1913 Webster]

An oak cometh up a little spire. --Chaucer. [1913 Webster]

2. A tapering body that shoots up or out to a point in a conical or pyramidal form. Specifically (Arch.), the roof of a tower when of a pyramidal form and high in proportion to its width; also, the pyramidal or aspiring termination of a tower which can not be said to have a roof, such as that of Strasburg cathedral; the tapering part of a steeple, or the steeple itself. ``With glistering spires and pinnacles adorned.'' --Milton. [1913 Webster]

A spire of land that stand apart, Cleft from the main. --Tennyson. [1913 Webster]

Tall spire from which the sound of cheerful bells Just undulates upon the listening ear. --Cowper. [1913 Webster]

3. (Mining) A tube or fuse for communicating fire to the chargen in blasting. [1913 Webster]

4. The top, or uppermost point, of anything; the summit. [1913 Webster]

The spire and top of praises. --Shak. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • SPIRE — Le premier établissement humain qui est à l’origine de la ville de Spire (en allemand: Speyer) date de l’époque celte: Noviomagus. Installé sur une terrasse du Rhin, il devait devenir un camp romain sous César et Drusus. La cité qui en naquit fut …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Spire — • A tapering construction in plan conical, pyramidal, octagonal, or hexagonal crowning a steeple or tower Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight. 2006. Spire     Spire      …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • Spire — Spire, n. [L. spira coil, twist; akin to Gr. ???: cf. F. spire.] 1. A spiral; a curl; a whorl; a twist. Dryden. [1913 Webster] 2. (Geom.) The part of a spiral generated in one revolution of the straight line about the pole. See {Spiral}, n. [1913 …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Spire — Spire, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Spired}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Spiring}.] To shoot forth, or up in, or as if in, a spire. Emerson. [1913 Webster] It is not so apt to spire up as the other sorts, being more inclined to branch into arms. Mortimer. [1913… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Spire — puede referirse a: Chicago Spire: Rascacielos que actualmente se encuentra en construcción en Chicago, (Estados Unidos). Spire de Dublín: La escultura de mayor altura del mundo, situada en una céntrica calle de la ciudad de Dublín (Irlanda). Esta …   Wikipedia Español

  • Spire — Spire, v. i. [L. spirare to breathe. See {Spirit}.] To breathe. [Obs.] Shenstone. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • spire — [spaıə US spaır] n ↑spire, ↑cross [: Old English; Origin: spir] a roof that rises steeply to a point on top of a tower, especially on a church →↑steeple …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • spire — spire1 [spīr] n. [Fr < L spira < Gr speira < IE base * sper , to turn, wrap > Latvian sprangāt, to lace up] 1. a spiral or coil 2. any of the convolutions of a spiral or coil 3. Zool. the upper part of a spiral shell of a gastropod… …   English World dictionary

  • spire — [ spaır ] noun count the pointed top of a church tower or other building …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • spire — O.E. spir sprout, shoot, stalk of grass, from P.Gmc. *spiraz (Cf. O.N. spira a stalk, slender tree, M.L.G. spir a small point or top ), from PIE *spei sharp point (see SPIKE (Cf. spike) (n.1)). Meaning tapering top of a tower or steeple first rec …   Etymology dictionary

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