/
ˈhiːlɪks/
n.
(pl. helices
/ˈhiːlɪsiːz, ˈhɛl-/
)
- an object having a three-dimensional shape like that of a wire wound uniformly in a single layer around a cylinder or cone, as in a corkscrew or spiral staircase.
▸Biochemistry an extended spiral chain of atoms in a protein, nucleic acid, or other polymeric molecule.
- Architecture a spiral ornament.
- Anatomy the rim of the external ear.
Etymology
C16: via L. from Gk.