death spiraln.
/ˈdɛθ spʌɪrəl/, /ˈdɛθ ˌspʌɪrl̩/, U.S. /ˈdɛθ ˌspaɪrəl/ 1. Originally North American.
a. The downward spiral course of an out-of-control aeroplane (before it crashes); (also) an aerobatic manoeuvre simulating this. In quot. 1912 with reference to an intentional manoeuvre (see spiral n. 2e) going wrong and ending in the pilot's death.
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society > travel > air or space travel > specific movements or positions of aircraft > [noun] > spiral
spiral1910
death spiral1912
1912 Cedar Rapids (Iowa) Evening Gaz. 12 Sept. 1/3 (heading) Aviator Peck is Chicago victim of death spiral.
1943 Mason City (Iowa) Globe-Gaz. 3 Aug. 1/1 The huge plane was struck in midair by a bolt of lightning which tore off one wing, set the plane ablaze and sent the huge craft into its death spiral.
1996 N. A. Veronico & M. B. Fritze Blue Angels ii. 21/2 Many times, one panel would come off, producing asymmetrical lift, sending the airplane into a death spiral.
2009 Monterey County (Calif.) Herald (Nexis) 9 Aug. An event that features a variety of aircraft, from fighter jets to biplanes, doing aerial gymnastics and ballets, death spirals and a multitude of other majestic and horrifying stunts.
b. figurative. Esp. in business or financial contexts: a relentlessly deteriorating state of affairs which usually leads to a disastrous or ruinous result. Cf. spiral n. 2d.
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the world > action or operation > adversity > [noun] > fall from prosperous or thriving condition > course leading to
death spiral1948
slippery slope1951
1948 Producer-Consumer Jan. 13/2 If our farm people who are the economic pillars of the welfare and productiveness of this nation are to protect themselves and the nation from a death spiral of decreasing income [etc.].
1966 Trends in Parks & Recreation Oct. 7/1 We are caught in a death spiral which threatens not only the inherent wealth and beauty of our country, but the chance for more enlightened future generations to resolve the environmental issues.
1973 Brandon (Manitoba) Sun 20 June Any thinking person who has travelled at all in our rural areas knows that there are many communities that have been in a death spiral for a couple of decades.
1997 K. F. Staley Art of Short Selling 126 [He] pulled Western out of a death spiral with an infusion of approved capital.
2011 Vanity Fair July 143/3 Falcone may be caught in what an observer says is a ‘death spiral’ for a hedge-fund manager, because as soon as investors can get their money, they will take it and run.
2. Figure-skating. A move in pairs skating where the man pivots on one foot with the other leg extended forward while the woman, stretched out almost parallel to the ice and holding on to his outstretched hand, circles around him with one skate on the ice.
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society > leisure > sport > types of sport or game > winter sports > skating > [noun] > figure-skating > figure > specific figure or movement
spread eagle1823
Q1852
grapevine1868
loop1869
rocking turn1869
Mohawk1880
vine1891
bracket1892
Choctaw1892
counter1892
rocker1892
scud1892
three1895
toe-spin1921
death spiral1933
1933 Manch. Guardian 25 Apr. 4 As they have been skating together for eight years, they did not appear even to watch each other. They included the one-handed death spiral, dip spin, lift loop jump, [etc.].
1974 H. Bass Let's go Skating xv. 81 The so-called ‘death spiral’, in which the lady circles round the man with at least one foot on the ice, is permitted.
1992 New Yorker 9 Mar. 8/2 Other things that a conventional skating pair would do, like the death spiral, are impossible for us to learn this late, when we're both in our twenties.
2010 J. R. Senft Triumph on Ice 15 By the time they reached the Worlds, they had fixed this problem and were awarded Levels 3 and 4 for their Death Spiral.
This is a new entry (OED Third Edition, March 2014; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1912