curlicue vs spiral

curlicue

noun
  • A fancy twisting or curling shape usually made from a series of spirals and loops. 

verb
  • To make or adorn (something) with curlicues, or as if with curlicues. 

spiral

noun
  • A curve that is the locus of a point that rotates about a fixed point while continuously increasing its distance from that point. 

  • A helix. 

  • A section of track that forms a circle and crosses over itself, used for gaining height in mountainous territory. 

  • A self-sustaining process with a lot of momentum involved, so it is difficult to accelerate or stop it at once. 

verb
  • To increase continually. 

  • To cause something to spiral. 

  • To move along the path of a spiral or helix. 

adj
  • Helical, like a spiral. 

How often have the words curlicue and spiral occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )