[TheForge] Scrolls and spirals

Sat Apr 22 09:04:25 EDT 2006

When in doubt, look in the dictionary ;-)

Phlip, the logical

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spi·ral    ( P )  Pronunciation Key  (sprl)
n. 

A curve on a plane that winds around a fixed center point at a continuously 
increasing or decreasing distance from the point. 
A three-dimensional curve that turns around an axis at a constant or 
continuously varying distance while moving parallel to the axis; a helix. 
Something having the form of such a curve: a spiral of black smoke. 
Printing. A spiral binding. 
The course or flight path of an object rotating on its longitudinal axis. 
A continuously accelerating increase or decrease: the wage-price spiral. 

adj. 
Of or resembling a spiral. 
Circling around a center at a continuously increasing or decreasing distance. 
Coiling around an axis in a constantly changing series of planes; helical. 
Printing. Relating to or having a spiral binding: a spiral notebook. 

v. spi·raled, also spi·ralled spi·ral·ing, spi·ral·ling spi·rals, spi·rals 
v. intr.
To take a spiral form or course. 
To rise or fall with steady acceleration. 

v. tr.
To cause to take a spiral form or course.

Source: The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth 
Edition
Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. 

spi·ral (sprl)
adj. 

Coiling or developing around an axis in a constantly changing series of 
planes; helical.
n. 
A structure in the shape of a coil.
v. spi·raled or spi·ralled, spi·ral·ing or spi·ral·ling, spi·rals or spi·rals 
To take the form or course of a spiral.

Source: The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by 
Houghton Mifflin Company. 

Main Entry: 1spi·ral
Pronunciation: 'spI-r&l
Function: adjective
1 a : winding around a center or pole and gradually receding from or 
approaching it b : HELICAL <the spiral structure of DNA> 
2 : being a fracture in which the break is produced by twisting apart the 
bone <a double spiral break> —spi·ral·ly /-r&-lE/ adverb 

Main Entry: 2spiral
Function: noun
1 : the path of a point in a plane moving around a central point while 
continuously receding from or approaching it 
2 : a three-dimensional curve (as a helix) with one or more turns about an 
axis <the double spiral of DNA> 

spiral

adj : in the shape of a coil [syn: coiling, helical, spiraling, volute, 
voluted, whorled, turbinate] n 1: a plane curve traced by a point circling 
about the center but at ever-greater distances from it 2: a curve that lies 
on the surface of a cylinder or cone and cuts the element at a constant angle 
[syn: helix] 3: ornament consisting of a curve on a plane that winds around a 
center with an increasing distance from the center [syn: volute] 4: a 
structure consisting of something wound in a continuous series of loops; "a 
coil of rope" [syn: coil, volute, whorl, helix] 5: flying downward in a 
helical path with a large radius v 1: to wind or move in a spiral 
course; "the muscles and nerves of his fine drawn body were coiling for 
action"; "black smoke coiling up into the sky"; "the young people gyrated on 
the dance floor" [syn: gyrate, coil] 2: form a spiral; "The path spirals up 
the mountain" 3: move in a spiral or zigzag course [syn: corkscrew]

scroll    ( P )  Pronunciation Key  (skrl)
n. 

A roll, as of parchment or papyrus, used especially for writing a document. 
An ancient book or volume written on such a roll. 
A list or schedule of names. 
An ornament or ornamental design that resembles a partially rolled scroll of 
paper, as the volute in Ionic and Corinthian capitals. 
Music. The curved head on an instrument of the violin family. 
Heraldry. A ribbon inscribed with a motto. 

v. scrolled, scroll·ing, scrolls 
v. tr.
To inscribe on a scroll. 
To roll up into a scroll. 
To ornament with a scroll. 
Computer Science. To cause (displayed text or graphics) to move up, down, or 
across the screen so that a line of text or graphics appears at one edge of 
the screen for each line that moves off the opposite edge: scroll a document; 
scroll a page of text. 

v. intr. Computer Science 
To cause displayed text or graphics to move up, down, or across the screen: 
scrolled down to the end of the document. 
To appear onscreen and roll by: “The information scrolls so fast it's 
unreadable” (Creative Computing). 

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--
[Middle English scrowle, alteration (influenced by rolle, roll), of scrowe 
from Old French escroue, escroe, strip of parchment, scroll, of Germanic 
origin.] 

[Download Now or Buy the Book] 
Source: The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth 
Edition
Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. 

scroll

n 1: a round shape formed by a series of concentric circles [syn: coil, 
whorl, roll, curl, curlicue, ringlet, gyre] 2: a document that can be rolled 
up (as for storage) [syn: roll] v : move through text or graphics in order to 
display parts that do not fit on the screen; "Scroll down to see the entire 
text"

Source: WordNet ® 2.0, © 2003 Princeton University 

scroll

String and Character Recording Oriented Logogrammatic
Language.

["SCROLL - A Pattern Recording Language", M. Sargent, Proc
SJCC 36 (1970)].

(1994-12-01)

Source: The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing, © 1993-2005 Denis Howe 

scroll

<interface> (From a scroll of paper) To change the portion of
a document displayed in a window or on a VDU screen. In a
graphical user interface, scrolling is usually controlled by
the user via scroll bars, whereas on a VDU the text scrolls
up automatically as lines of data are output at the bottom of
the screen.

(2001-04-27)

Source: The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing, © 1993-2005 Denis Howe 