Meaning & use
helix
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Meanings
nouncountablemathematicstechnical
A curve that winds around a central line like a spring, staying the same distance from it as it climbs.
Grammar: Plural is helices or helixes: the structure forms a helix.
Patterns
- in the shape of a helix
- a helix of something
A corkscrew follows the path of a helix.
The staircase wound upward in a graceful helix.
Engineers modeled the cable as a helix around the pole.
nouncountablebiology
The twisted ladder-like shape of the molecule that carries genetic information, usually called a double helix.
Grammar: Most often in the phrase double helix.
Patterns
- double helix
- the helix of DNA
The students built a model of the DNA helix from candy and toothpicks.
Watson and Crick described the double helix in 1953.
Proteins can fold into a helix before taking their final shape.
nouncountablemedical
The curved rim around the upper outer edge of the human ear.
Grammar: Used in anatomy and piercing: a helix piercing.
Patterns
- helix piercing
She got a small stud in her helix.
The doctor noted a scar along the helix of his ear.
A helix piercing can take months to heal.
Word forms
| plural | helices |
|---|---|
| plural | helixes |
Common combinations
- double helix
- DNA is shaped like a double helix.
- alpha helix
- Many proteins contain an alpha helix.
- form a helix
- The vine forms a helix around the pole.
- right-handed helix
- A standard screw thread is a right-handed helix.
- helix piercing
- He chose a helix piercing for his birthday.
Synonyms and how they differ
- spiral
- A spiral usually winds in a flat plane and may widen, while a helix climbs in three dimensions at a constant size.
- coil
- Coil describes loops of rope or wire, whereas helix names the precise geometric shape.
- corkscrew
- Corkscrew is an everyday word for a twisting shape or object, and it sounds less technical.
Opposites
Word family
- helical adjective
- shaped like a helix
- helices noun
- the Latin-style plural
- helicoid adjective
- resembling a helix
- helicopter noun
- an aircraft whose name comes from Greek roots meaning spiral wing
Commonly confused: helix or spiral?
helix vs spiral
People often use spiral for helix, but a spiral can lie flat like a snail shell while a helix rises like a spring.
Practice
Which object best shows the shape of a helix?
Choose one answer.
A coiled spring winds around an axis at a steady distance, which is a helix. A record groove is a flat spiral, so it is a tempting but wrong choice.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “helix”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.