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Spiral vs Swirl - What's the difference?

spiral | swirl |

As nouns the difference between spiral and swirl

is that spiral is a curve that is the locus of a point that rotates about a fixed point while continuously increasing its distance from that point while swirl is a whirling eddy.

As verbs the difference between spiral and swirl

is that spiral is to move along the path of a spiral or helix while swirl is to twist or whirl, as an eddy.

As an adjective spiral

is helical, like a spiral.

spiral

English

(wikipedia spiral)

Noun

(en noun)
  • (geometry) A curve that is the locus of a point that rotates about a fixed point while continuously increasing its distance from that point.
  • (informal) A helix.
  • A self-sustaining process with a lot of momentum involved, so it is difficult to accelerate or stop it at once.

    • Derived terms

    * death spiral * downward spiral * graveyard spiral * spiral staircase * upward spiral

    Adjective

    (-)
  • Helical, like a spiral

    • Verb

  • To move along the path of a spiral or helix.
    • The falling leaves spiralled down from the tree.
  • (figuratively) To increase continually.
    • Her debts were spiralling out of control.

    External links

    * (commonslite)

    Anagrams

    * ----

    swirl

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A whirling eddy.
  • A twist or coil of something.

    • Derived terms

    * (l)

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • (ambitransitive) To twist or whirl, as an eddy.
    • I swirled my brush around in the paint.
  • * Charles Kingsley
    • The river swirled along.
  • * {{quote-news
    • , year=2012 , date=May 13 , author=Alistair Magowan , title=Sunderland 0-1 Man Utd , work=BBC Sport citation , page= , passage=The contest was a lot more even in the second half, as the wind swirled around the Stadium of Light, but it took Craig Gardner's superb block to prevent Young getting on the scoresheet.}}
  • To be arranged in a twist, spiral or whorl.
  • (figuratively) to circulate
  • * 2013 May 23, , " British Leader’s Liberal Turn Sets Off a Rebellion in His Party," New York Times (retrieved 29 May 2013):
    • Mr. Cameron had a respite Thursday from the negative chatter swirling around him when he appeared outside 10 Downing Street to denounce the murder a day before of a British soldier on a London street.