LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · femininefirst declension

spīra

spīra f (genitive spīrae)
Classical[ˈspiː.ra]Ecclesiastical[ˈspiː.ra]

Meaning

  1. A thing that is coiled, twisted, or wound.
  2. A coil, twist.
  3. The base of a column.
  4. A kind of cake; a twist.
  5. A coil of rope.
  6. A braid of hair.
  7. A pretzel

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativespīraspīrae
genitivespīraespīrārum
dativespīraespīrīs
accusativespīramspīrās
ablativespīrāspīrīs
vocativespīraspīrae

spīra, ae, f., = σπεῖρα.
I. That which is wound, wreathed, coiled, or twisted; a coil, fold, twist, spire (cf. orbis); of a serpent, Verg. G. 2, 154; id. A. 2, 217; Ov. M. 3, 77.—Of the grain of wood, Plin. 16, 39, 76, § 198.—Of the intestines, Lact. Opif. Dei, 11, § 16.—
II. Concr.: spira dicitur et basis columnae unius tori aut duorum, et genus operis pistorii, et funis nauticus in orbem convolutus, ab eādem omnes similitudine. Pacuvius: Quid cessatis, socii, ejicere spiras sparteas? Ennius quidem hominum multitudinem ita appellat, cum ait: spiras legionibus nexunt, Fest. p. 300 Müll. (Ann. v. 501 Vahl., where the read. is nexit).—So,
A. The base of a column, Vitr. 3, 3; 4, 1; Plin. 36, 23, 56, § 179.—
B. A kind of twisted cake, a twist, cracknel, Cato, R. R. 77.—
C. A coil of rope, Pac. ap. Fest. l. l.—
D. A braid of hair, Plin. 9, 35, 58, § 117; Val. Fl. 6, 396.—
E. A twisted tie for fastening the hat under the chin, Juv. 8, 208.—
F. A confused crowd of men, Enn. ap. Fest. l. l.

Origins

From Ancient Greek σπεῖρα (speîra, “wreath, coil, twist”) from Proto-Indo-European *sper- (“to twist, turn”).

In the Academy Smith's classical dictionaries

AntiquitiesSpiraSpira (σπεῖρα), dim. SPIRULA (Servius in Verg. A. 2.217), the base of a column. The word σπεῖρα is used in this signification in Greek inscriptions, b…

Quick answers

What does spīra mean in Latin?
spīra, a noun, means “A thing that is coiled, twisted, or wound.; A coil, twist.; The base of a column.”.
What is the genitive of spīra?
The genitive singular is spīrae. spīra is feminine, first declension.
How do you pronounce spīra?
In classical Latin, [ˈspiː.ra]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈspiː.ra].