See Also: spiro-(medicine)
spiro-(dictionary)
Clado, Spiro(medicine)
spiro compounds(medicine)
spiro-index(medicine)
Agnew, Spiro T(heodore)(encyclopedia)

spiro- (iou)



spiro- combining form. and as attrib. adjective spiro. L19.
[from Latin spira, Greek speira SPIRE noun3: see -O-.]
Having or pertaining to a spiral shape.
Chemistry. Forming names of organic compounds whose molecular structure includes two rings having a single atom (usu. of carbon or nitrogen) in common. Cf. SPIRANE.
spiro'lactone noun (Chemistry & Pharmacology) a spirane in which one of the rings is a lactone; spec. any of the series of steroid derivatives to which spironolactone belongs: M20.
spiroplasma noun (Biology) any of a group of pathogenic prokaryotes lacking a cell wall and related to the mycoplasmas, distinguished by helical structure and rotatory movement L20.