1. (v. i.) To breathe.

2. (n.) A slender stalk or blade in vegetation; as, a spire grass or of wheat.

3. (n.) A tapering body that shoots up or out to a point in a conical or pyramidal form. Specifically (Arch.), the roof of a tower when of a pyramidal form and high in proportion to its width; also, the pyramidal or aspiring termination of a tower which can not be said to have a roof, such as that of Strasburg cathedral; the tapering part of a steeple, or the steeple itself.

4. (n.) A tube or fuse for communicating fire to the charge in blasting.

5. (n.) The top, or uppermost point, of anything; the summit.

6. (v. i.) To shoot forth, or up in, or as if in, a spire.

7. (n.) A spiral; a curl; a whorl; a twist.

8. (n.) The part of a spiral generated in one revolution of the straight line about the pole. See Spiral, n.

acme antenna tower anthrophore apex apogee arise ascend aspire axis barbican become airborne belfry bell tower blade bole bract bracteole bractlet brow buss the clouds campanile cane cap carpophore caudex caulicle caulis claw skyward climax cloud nine cog colossus column comb come up cotyledon crag crest crown culm culmen culmination cupola curl upwards derrick dome edge extreme limit extremity fang fire tower flag float floral leaf fly fly aloft foliole footstalk frond funicule funiculus gain altitude glume go up grow up hang harrow haulm heaven heavens height high noon highest pitch highest point hover involucre involucrum jag kite lamina lantern leaf leaflet leafstalk leave the ground lemma levitate lighthouse ligule limit loom martello martello tower mast maximum meridian minaret monument mount mountaintop ne plus ultra needle no place higher noon obelisk observation tower pagoda peak pecten pedicel peduncle petal petiole petiolule petiolus pilaster pile pillar pine needle pinnacle pitch plane point poise pole projection pylon pyramid rake ratchet rear rear up reed ridge rise rise up sawtooth seed leaf seedstalk sepal seventh heaven shaft sky skyscraper snag snaggle soar spathe spear spiral sprocket spur stalk stand on tiptoe stand up standpipe steeple stem stipe stipula stipule stock straw stupa summit surge swarm up sweep up take off television mast tigella tip tip-top tooth top tope tour tower trunk turret up upgo upgrow upheave upmost upper extremity uppermost uprise upspin upstream upsurge upswarm upwind utmost vertex very top water tower windmill tower zenith zoom