Helix Definition, Examples, and Usage

Meaning 1：spiral shape (helix)

helix 🔊

/ˈhiːlɪks/

The shape of a line that curves around a central point while moving upwards, like a spring or a spiral staircase.

Helix spiral staircase viewed from below showing curved steps

spiral shape 🔊

➕

/ˈspaɪərəl ʃeɪp/

A helix is a three-dimensional curve that turns around an axis, like a spring or a screw thread.

📁 Category：Technological Inventions 🔖 Level：intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Greek 'helix' meaning spiral, via Latin.

💡 Mnemonic

Think of a 'helicopter' rotor spinning in a helix shape – both start with 'heli-' and involve spirals.

📖 Example

Scientists were amazed by the elegant helix structure of DNA when they first discovered it. 🔊 Scientists were amazed by the elegant helix structure of DNA when they first discovered it.

🔗 Collocations

double helix – a structure consisting of two parallel helices intertwined, as in DNA

alpha helix – a common secondary structure in proteins, formed by a single polypeptide chain coiled into a spiral

helix angle – the acute angle between a helix and its axis, used in screw threads and gears

🔄 Synonyms

spiral (n.) – a curve that winds around a central point, getting farther away from it

coil (n.) – a series of loops, often of wire or rope, wound in a circular or spiral shape

twist (n.) – a shape or motion that turns or winds around itself

🚫 Antonyms

straight line (n.) – a line with no curvature or bends

line segment (n.) – a finite straight line with no curvature

🌱 Derivatives

helical (adj.) – having the shape of a helix

helicoid (n.) – a surface formed by moving a straight line along a helix

helices (n.) – plural form of helix

📖 Cultural Story

The word 'helix' comes from Greek ἕλιξ ('spiral'). It entered English in the 16th century. A famous cultural reference is the double helix of DNA, discovered in 1953 by Watson and Crick, which revolutionized biology.