Helically

Helically is an adverb describing something done or arranged in the shape of a helix, a three-dimensional spiral around an axis. The word comes from helix, from Greek helix, with the adverbial suffix -ly. It is used to describe geometry, motion, or structures that follow a helical path.

In geometry, a helix is the curve traced by a point moving around a cylinder while progressing along its axis. Objects described as helically wrapped or oriented combine rotation about an axis with translation along it, producing a screw-like or spring-like form.

Common uses include biology (the DNA double helix is helically coiled), engineering (springs and screws are helically wound), and materials science (fibers or tubes may be helically arranged). Some plants exhibit helically curling tendrils as they wind around supports. Helically shaped nanostructures also appear in research contexts.

Related terms include helix (the noun), helical (the adjective), and helicity, a concept used in physics and mathematics to describe the winding of flows or fields. Helicene, a class of helically twisted organic molecules, is another chemistry-related term.

See also: helix, helical gear, screw, DNA, helicity, helicene.