SPIRING

Etymology

Adjective

spiring (not comparable)

Shooting up in a spire or spires.

Anagrams

• prising, risping

Source: Wiktionary

Spir"ing, a.

Definition: Shooting up in a spire or spires. "The spiring grass." Dryton.

SPIRE

Spire, v. i. Etym: [L. spirare to breathe. See Spirit.]

Definition: To breathe. [Obs.] Shenstone.

Spire, n. Etym: [OE. spire, spir, a blade of grass, a young shoot, AS. spir; akin to G. spier a blade of grass, Dan. spire a sprout, sprig, Sw. spira a spar, Icel. spira.]

1. A slender stalk or blade in vegetation; as, a spire grass or of wheat. An oak cometh up a little spire. Chaucer.

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. A spire of land that stand apart, Cleft from the main. Tennyson. Tall spire from which the sound of cheerful bells Just undulates upon the listening ear. Cowper.

3. (Mining)

Definition: A tube or fuse for communicating fire to the chargen in blasting.

4. The top, or uppermost point, of anything; the summit. The spire and top of praises. Shak.

Spire, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Spired; p. pr. & vb. n. Spiring.]

Definition: To shoot forth, or up in, or as if in, a spire. Emerson. It is not so apt to spire up as the other sorts, being more inclined to branch into arms. Mortimer.

Spire, n. Etym: [L. spira coil, twist; akin to Gr. spire.]

1. A spiral; a curl; a whorl; a twist. Dryden.

2. (Geom.)

Definition: The part of a spiral generated in one revolution of the straight line about the pole. See Spiral, n. Spire bearer. (Paleon.) Same as Spirifer.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition