Julius Klatte wrote:

> >  Are you talking about a spiral shape or a helix shape?
>
> I understand what the difference between spiral and helix is
> for POV, but I was just wondering what (as a language thing)
> the difference between a "spiral" and a "helix" is. I always
> thought they meant the same thing.
>
> Julius

The first thought that comes is :
-o- a sipral is a figure in a plane where the radius keeps growing as
you change the angle.
-o- a helix is a figure in 3-d space where the radius is constant but
the height changes as you change the angle.

As it is the way I always used these in physics or biology.
But when looking up the dictionnary (British - Collins Cobuild) you
notice the spiral is actually both these meanings as well as other
figurative meanings, and you discover that the word helix is simply
not there !

Cherio,
Al.

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