Spira, spiræ. Plin. A rundle: a circle, or winding compasse: the turning of cables and roapes winded up: a band or lace about a cappe or hatte. A base of a piller: a cake made like a trendle. A multitude of people.Anguis se colligit in spiram. Vir. The adder wrapped him selfe rounde.
Lewis and Short: Latin dictionary
spīra, ae, f., = spei=ra. I.That which is wound, wreathed, coiled, or twisted; a coil, fold, twist, spire (cf. orbis); of a serpent, Verg. G. 2, 154; id. A. 2, 217; Ov. M. 3, 77.—Of the grain of wood, Plin. 16, 39, 76, 198.—Of the intestines, Lact. Opif. Dei, 11, 16.—II. Concr.: spira dicitur et basis columnae unius tori aut duorum, et genus operis pistorii, et funis nauticus in orbem convolutus, ab eādem omnes similitudine. Pacuvius: Quid cessatis, socii, ejicere spiras sparteas? Ennius quidem hominum multitudinem ita appellat, cum ait: spiras legionibus nexunt, Fest. p. 300 Müll. (Ann. v. 501 Vahl., where the read. is nexit).—So, A.The base of a column, Vitr. 3, 3; 4, 1; Plin. 36, 23, 56, 179.—B.A kind of twisted cake, a twist, cracknel, Cato, R. R. 77.—C.A coil of rope, Pac. ap. Fest. l. l.—D.A braid of hair, Plin. 9, 35, 58, 117; Val. Fl. 6, 396.—E.A twisted tie for fastening the hat under the chin, Juv. 8, 208.—F.A confused crowd of men, Enn. ap. Fest. l. l.