Etymology From Middle English spire, spyre, spier, spir, from Old English spīr, from Proto-Germanic *spīrō, *spīrǭ (“peak; point; tip; stalk”). Cognate with Dutch spier, German Low German Spier, German Spier, Spiere, Danish spir, Norwegian spir and spire, Swedish spira, Icelandic spíra.
Clara had pulled a button from a hollyhock spire, and was breaking it to get the seeds.1913, D[avid] H[erbert] Lawrence, “Chapter 12”, in Sons and Lovers, London: Duckworth & Co. […], →OCLC:
3
Any of various tall grasses, rushes, or sedges, such as the marram, the reed canary-grass, etc.
4
A sharp or tapering point.
A beech wood with silver firs in it rolled down the face of the hill, and the maze of leafless twigs and dusky spires cut sharp against the soft blueness of the evening sky.1907 January, Harold Bindloss, chapter 1, in The Dust of Conflict, 1st Canadian edition, Toronto, Ont.: McLeod & Allen, →OCLC:
This park’s strange and beautiful rock formations were formed by the Yellowstone River and various streams that have cut through the rock over millions of years, carving out hoodoos, spires and caprocks. The name Makoshika comes from a Lakota word for badlands.2018 July 17, Autumn Spanne, “Check out these crazy rock formations across the United States”, in CNN:
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Architecture A tapering structure built on a roof or tower, especially as one of the central architectural features of a church or cathedral roof.
The spire of the church rose high above the town.
6
The top, or uppermost point, of anything; the summit.
the spire and top of praisesc. 1608–1609 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Coriolanus”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ix]:
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Business, Mining A tube or fuse for communicating fire to the charge in blasting.
Etymology From Middle English spire, spyre, spier, spir, from Old English spīr, from Proto-Germanic *spīrō, *spīrǭ (“peak; point; tip; stalk”). Cognate with Dutch spier, German Low German Spier, German Spier, Spiere, Danish spir, Norwegian spir and spire, Swedish spira, Icelandic spíra.
1
Of a seed to sprout, to send forth the early shoots of growth; to germinate.
In gentle Ladies breste and bounteous race / Of woman kind it fayrest Flowre doth spyre, / And beareth fruit of honour and all chast desyre.1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book III, Canto V”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:
It is not so apt to spire up as the other sorts, being more inclined to branch into arms.1707, J[ohn] Mortimer, The Whole Art of Husbandry; or, The Way of Managing and Improving of Land. […], London: […] J[ohn] H[umphreys] for H[enry] Mortlock […], and J[onathan] Robinson […], →OCLC:
2
To grow upwards rather than develop horizontally.
3
To furnish with a spire.
spire
verb
Etymology From Old French spirer, and its source, Latin spīrō (“to breathe”).
One of the sinuous foldings of a serpent or other reptile; a coil.
A dragon's fiery form bely'd the god: Sublime on radiant spires he rode.1700, [John] Dryden, “Alexander’s Feast; or, The Power of Musique. An Ode, in Honour of St. Cecelia’s Day.”, in Fables Ancient and Modern; […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC:
2
A spiral.
3
Geometry, Mathematics, Sciences The part of a spiral generated in one revolution of the straight line about the pole.