volute

Estimated CEFR level: C2 — Proficiency

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

noun ornament consisting of a curve on a plane that winds around a center with an increasing distance from the center
noun a structure consisting of something wound in a continuous series of loops
adjective in the shape of a coil

From French volute, from Italian voluta, from Latin volūta, from the feminine of volūtus, perfect passive participle of volvō. Doublet of vault.

The electric light flooded everything; it was shed from four unpolished globes half sunk in the volutes of the ceiling. — Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea, Jules Verne
SINGLE VOLUTE HELIX-SPRING.--This is also used for compression, intended where tremendous weights or resistances are to be overcome, and when the range of movement is small. — Practical Mechanics for Boys, James Slough Zerbe
The lofty walls, gigantic in height—even unproportionably so—were hung from summit to foot, in vast folds, with a heavy and massive-looking tapestry—tapestry of a material which was found alike as a carpet on the floor, as a covering for the ottomans and the ebony bed, as a canopy for the bed, and as the gorgeous volutes of the curtains which partially shaded the window. — The Works of Edgar Allan Poe, The Raven Edition: Table Of Contents And Index Of The Five Volumes, Edgar Allan Poe

spiral

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