spire
/ˈspaɪə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈspaɪər/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈspī(-ə)r/ (ame, mw)
spire — 名詞
- spiresingular
- spiresplural
1. a tall narrow pointed feature that rises from the highest part of a religious bu
尖塔
建築物頂端的尖錐形結構
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.
那座古老教堂的尖塔，從村裡的每一條街都看得見。
A pair of pigeons nested in a gap near the top of the stone spire.
兩隻鴿子在石造尖塔頂端附近的縫隙裡築了巢。
collocation: stone spire
The golden spire on the cathedral shone brightly in the afternoon sunlight.
大教堂的金色尖塔在午後的陽光下閃閃發光。
Strong winds damaged the spire during the storm, and workers had to repair it.
強風在暴風中損壞了尖塔，工人必須進行修復。
From the valley below, the grey stone spire looked like a needle against the clouds.
從下方的山谷望去，灰石尖塔像一根針刺入雲端。
- 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 — 動詞
- spirepresent simple I / you / we / they
- spires3rd person singular
- spiring-ing form
- spiredpast simple
1. to rise upward in a tall, thin shape that narrows towards the top, like a church
聳立
像尖塔般高聳向上
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.
古老的松樹聳立在森林小徑上方，樹梢消失在霧中。
spire above [something]
Smoke from the campfire spired into the cold night sky without a breath of wind.
營火的煙霧在無風的夜空下裊裊升起。
The mountain peak spired sharply above the clouds, visible for miles around.
那座山峰高聳於雲層之上，方圓數里都看得見。
Tall rocks spired from the desert floor, shaped by years of wind and sand.
高高的岩石從沙漠地面聳然崛起，是經年風沙雕琢而成的。
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
螺旋上升
以螺旋方式向上延伸
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.
一縷蒸氣從水壺中盤旋而上，扭向天花板。
The old stone staircase spired around the inside of the tower for six floors.
古老的石造樓梯沿著塔樓內部螺旋上升，共六層樓。
spire around [something]
Warm air spired slowly from the heater and spread across the cold room.
暖氣機的熱氣緩緩盤旋上升，在寒冷的室內擴散開來。
The narrow road spired up the hillside, switching back on itself with each turn.
那條狹窄的道路沿著山坡盤旋而上，每到一處急彎就折返方向。
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.