Volute (disambiguation)

The term volute is used in a number of different contexts, all of which derive from and allude to the original Latin root word "voluta" ("scroll"):

* In "architecture", a volute is a decorative element on columns.
* In "stairways", a volute is a handrail for a bullnose step that is shaped like a spiral.
* In "biology", a volute is one of a number of species of marine snails in the family Volutidae.
* In "engineering", a volute is the compression chamber in a vertical turbine pump, whose shape is somewhat similar to architectural volutes.
* In "engineering", a volute spring is a compression spring in the shape of a volute.
* In "pottery", a volute krater is a type of Greek urn that takes its name from the form of the handles, which spiral into volutes.