inspiral

I1N1S1P3I1R1A1L1

adjective

Describing the paths of a pair of astronomical bodies (e.g. binary stars or black holes) that are spiralling in towards each other, losing energy to gravitational waves.

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Meanings

adjectiveinspiral (not comparable)
  1. not comparableastronomyDescribing the paths of a pair of astronomical bodies (e.g. binary stars or black holes) that are spiralling in towards each other, losing energy to gravitational waves.
nouninspiral (plural inspirals)

plural inspirals

  1. astronomyThe path of such a body.
verbinspiral (third-person singular simple present inspirals, present participle (US) inspiraling or (UK) inspiralling, simple past and past participle (US) inspiraled or (UK) inspiralled)

present singular third person inspirals · US participle present inspiraling · UK participle present inspiralling · US participle past inspiraled · US past inspiraled · UK participle past inspiralled · UK past inspiralled

  1. astronomyTo spiral inward.

Origin

From in- + spiral.

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

spiralin
Cite this entry
APA

inspiral. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/inspiral

MLA

“inspiral.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/inspiral. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “inspiral,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/inspiral.

Source: inspiral on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.