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Noun
On July 1, Russian daredevils climbed to the tip of the building's spire before getting engaged, and then arrested.—
Bryan West,
USA Today,
4 July 2026 The two daredevils who scaled the spire of the Empire State Building while the world watched have been grounded by the New York Police Department and are now the targets of a criminal investigation.—
Corky Siemaszko,
NBC news,
3 July 2026
Verb
After its sidewalk-to-spire refurbishment, the 47-story structure now houses only 375 keys for hotel guests and 372 for private residents.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
30 Mar. 2026 On April 15, a fire broke out in the attic and spread across the roof and spire before firefighters were alerted.—
Marla Jo Fisher,
Oc Register,
21 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for spire
Word History
Etymology
Noun (1)
Middle English, from Old English spīr; akin to Middle Dutch spier blade of grass
Noun (2)
Latin spira coil, from Greek speira; perhaps akin to Greek sparton rope, esparto
First Known Use
Noun (1)
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1