Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Having a spiral structure or spiral parts.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Having a spire, as a univalved shell; spired; turreted.
  • Having spiral appendages, as a brachiopod; spiriferine.
  • Containing or yielding fossil spirifers, as a geological stratum.

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Probably from New Latin spīrifer : Latin spīra, coil; see spire + Latin -fer, -fer.]

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Examples

  • I presume that they are actually connected with the spiral vessels which run up the tentacles, for on several occasions the latter were seen to divide into two or three excessively thin branches, which could be traced close up to the spiriferous cells.

    Insectivorous Plants Charles Darwin 1845

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