Meanings
plural spiral arms
- astronomyA section of a spiral galaxy that coils out from the centre.
Primary mass relays can propel ships thousands of light years, often from one spiral arm of the galaxy to another.
2008, BioWare, Mass Effect, Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →ISBN, →OCLC, PC, scene: Mass Relays Codex entry1 more example
Far out in the uncharted backwaters of the unfashionable end of the western spiral arm of the Galaxy lies a small unregarded yellow sun.
1979, Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the GalaxySynonyms: galactic arm
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA section of a spiral galaxy that coils out from the centre.
Translations
Chinese Mandarin 旋臂
- 旋臂 (xuánbì)section of a spiral galaxy
Finnish kierteishaara
- kierteishaarasection of a spiral galaxy
French bras spiral
- bras spiralsection of a spiral galaxy
Polish ramię spiralne
- ramię spiralnesection of a spiral galaxy
Cite this entry
spiral arm. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/spiral%20arm
“spiral arm.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/spiral%20arm. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “spiral arm,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/spiral%20arm.
Source: spiral arm on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.