[ad. L. volūtus, pa. pple. of volvĕre to roll; or attrib. use of prec.] Having the form of a volute; forming a spiral curve or curves.
Volute spring, wheel, are described by Knight, Dict. Mech., 2714/2 and Suppl. 931/1.
1845. Darwin, Voy. Nat., xiii. 288. Another was killed in the act of carrying to its hole a large volute shell.
1847. Leitch, trans. C. O. Müller’s Anc. Art, § 108. 67. The Corinthian capital … was unfolded by an ingenious combination of the volute forms of the Ionic with freer and richer vegetable ornaments.
1859. Darwin, Orig. Spec., vi. (1872), 161. The beautiful volute and cone shells of the Eocene epoch.
1879. Prescott, Sp. Telephone, 302. This plate has a volute spiral groove cut in its surface.
Comb. 1862. Catal. Internat. Exhib., Brit., II. No. 6460. Cast-steel tyres, volute spring buffers.
