helix
noun
he·lix ˈhē-liks 
plural helices ˈhe-lə-ˌsēz
ˈhē-
also helixes ˈhē-lik-səz 1
: something spiral in form: such as
a
: an ornamental volute
b
: a coil formed by winding wire around a uniform tube
2
: the incurved rim of the external ear
3
: a curve traced on a cylinder or cone by the rotation of a point crossing its right sections at a constant oblique angle
broadly : spiral sense 1b
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web This series of pictograms detailed, among other things, the double-helix structure of DNA, the dimensions of the human form and the location of Earth within the solar system. 
Lee Billings, Scientific American, 6 Sep. 2022 Stacking two rectangular layers, each printed in different orientations, yields a helix after drying. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 30 Aug. 2022 English ivy, or Hedera helix, is a versatile plant that’s been shown to lower levels of carbon dioxide, formaldehyde, and toxins in the air. Erica Sweeney, Good Housekeeping, 29 July 2022 Ideal for mixing and matching, this labret earring is fit for your helix, as well as the upper, lower and higher lobe. Bernd Fischer, Men's Health, 25 July 2022 According to Bubbers, customers are coming in requesting one or even multiple piercings on the forward helix. Leah Prinzivalli, Allure, 31 May 2022 To get their head around the physics of the problem, the team simplified the challenge to two strands of relatively wavy hair that wound around each other like a DNA helix. Douglas Belkin, WSJ, 2 May 2022 Nucleobases are nitrogen-containing compounds crucial in forming DNA’s characteristic double-helix structure. NBC News, 28 Apr. 2022 The discovery also suggested an answer to an age-old chicken-and-egg question about how DNA, the double-helix building blocks of life, and proteins could have arisen without carriers like RNA to transmit their codes. New York Times, 15 Apr. 2022 See More
Lee Billings, Scientific American, 6 Sep. 2022 Stacking two rectangular layers, each printed in different orientations, yields a helix after drying. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 30 Aug. 2022 English ivy, or Hedera helix, is a versatile plant that’s been shown to lower levels of carbon dioxide, formaldehyde, and toxins in the air. Erica Sweeney, Good Housekeeping, 29 July 2022 Ideal for mixing and matching, this labret earring is fit for your helix, as well as the upper, lower and higher lobe. Bernd Fischer, Men's Health, 25 July 2022 According to Bubbers, customers are coming in requesting one or even multiple piercings on the forward helix. Leah Prinzivalli, Allure, 31 May 2022 To get their head around the physics of the problem, the team simplified the challenge to two strands of relatively wavy hair that wound around each other like a DNA helix. Douglas Belkin, WSJ, 2 May 2022 Nucleobases are nitrogen-containing compounds crucial in forming DNA’s characteristic double-helix structure. NBC News, 28 Apr. 2022 The discovery also suggested an answer to an age-old chicken-and-egg question about how DNA, the double-helix building blocks of life, and proteins could have arisen without carriers like RNA to transmit their codes. New York Times, 15 Apr. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Latin, from Greek; akin to Greek eilyein to roll, wrap — more at voluble
First Known Use
1563, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Phrases Containing helix
Medical Definition
helix
noun
he·lix ˈhē-liks
plural helices ˈhel-ə-ˌsēz ˈhē-lə- also helixes ˈhē-lik-səz
ˈhē-lə- also helixes ˈhē-lik-səz 1
: the incurved rim of the external ear
2
: a curve traced on a cylinder by the rotation of a point crossing its right sections at a constant oblique angle
broadly : spiral sense 2 see alpha-helix, double helix