spire
spire — noun
1. a tall narrow pointed feature that rises from the highest part of a religious bu
a tall narrow pointed feature that rises from the highest part of a religious building and becomes gradually thinner towards its tip.
The old church spire could be seen from every street in the village.
A pair of pigeons nested in a gap near the top of the stone spire.
collocation: stone spire
The golden spire on the cathedral shone brightly in the afternoon sunlight.
Strong winds damaged the spire during the storm, and workers had to repair it.
From the valley below, the grey stone spire looked like a needle against the clouds.
- steeple
a church tower with a spire on top; narrower in meaning — steeple includes the tower, while spire is just the pointed part
- pinnacle
a small pointed ornament on top of a roof or buttress, not necessarily on a church
- minaret
a tall thin tower on a mosque, from which people are called to prayer; different architectural tradition
用法筆記
Often paired with stone, golden, tall, or old to describe the material, colour, or age.
常見錯誤
spire — verb
1. to rise upward in a tall, thin shape that narrows towards the top, like a church
to rise upward in a tall, thin shape that narrows towards the top, like a church spire rising into the sky.
Ancient pine trees spired above the forest path, their tops lost in the mist.
spire above [something]
Smoke from the campfire spired into the cold night sky without a breath of wind.
The mountain peak spired sharply above the clouds, visible for miles around.
Tall rocks spired from the desert floor, shaped by years of wind and sand.
用法筆記
Chiefly literary. This sense is most common in descriptive writing about landscapes, trees, smoke, or rock formations — not in everyday speech.
2. to move or extend upward while turning in a spiral path, like a line of smoke or
to move or extend upward while turning in a spiral path, like a line of smoke or a winding staircase.
A thin ribbon of steam spired from the kettle and twisted towards the ceiling.
The old stone staircase spired around the inside of the tower for six floors.
spire around [something]
Warm air spired slowly from the heater and spread across the cold room.
The narrow road spired up the hillside, switching back on itself with each turn.
用法筆記
This sense blends the idea of upward movement (from spire, the noun) with the spiral shape implied by the word's Latin root (spira, 'coil'). Used in descriptive or literary contexts, not in everyday conversation.