coil

[ koil ]

/ kɔɪl /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR coil ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object)

to wind into continuous, regularly spaced rings one above the other: to coil a wire around a pencil.

to wind on a flat surface into rings one around the other: He coiled the rope on the deck.

to gather (rope, wire, etc.) into loops: She coiled the garden hose and hung it on the hook.

verb (used without object)

to form rings, spirals, etc.; gather or retract in a circular way: The snake coiled, ready to strike.

to move in or follow a winding course: The river coiled through the valley.

noun

a connected series of spirals or rings into which a rope or the like is wound.

a single such ring.

an arrangement of pipes, coiled or in a series, as in a radiator.

a continuous pipe having inlet and outlet, or flow and return ends.

Medicine/Medical. an intrauterine device.

Electricity.

a conductor, as a copper wire, wound up in a spiral or other form.
a device composed essentially of such a conductor.
ignition coil.

Philately.

a stamp issued in a roll, usually of 500 stamps, and usually perforated vertically or horizontally only.
a roll of such stamps.

Origin of coil

First recorded in 1605–15; perhaps variant of cull

OTHER WORDS FROM coil

coil·a·ble, adjective coil·a·bil·i·ty, noun un·coiled, adjective

Words nearby coil

coiffure, coiffurist, coign, coign of vantage, coigne, coil, coil spring, coimbatore, coimbra, coin, coin box

Definition for coil (2 of 2)

coil ²

[ koil ]

/ kɔɪl /

noun

a noisy disturbance; commotion; tumult.

trouble; bustle; ado.

Origin of coil

First recorded in 1560–70; origin uncertain

Example sentences from the Web for coil

Dabbing wax on the coil or using hash oil on the wick also works.

This Is Your E-Cigarette on Drugs |Daniel Genis |July 28, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
In last summer's protests, that third began to coil the revolutionary energy of its frustrated expectations.

Kadima—Just Trying to Go Home |Yehudah Mirsky |July 17, 2012 |DAILY BEAST
She was dressed in a cigarette skirt that surrounded her hips like a spring coil.

Paris Fashion Week Kicks Off |Robin Givhan |October 1, 2011 |DAILY BEAST
Macavoy, stripped to the waist, and carrying only a hatchet and a coil of rope tied round him, started away alone up the river.

Romany of the Snows |Gilbert Parker

But John Rosedew and the life–boatmen held hard upon the coil of it, and drew him with all their might back again.

Cradock Nowell, Vol. 2 (of 3) |Richard Doddridge Blackmore
When I turned, he was lying in long loose waves, like a letter 'W.' He twitched and began to coil slowly.

My Antonia |Willa Cather
The period of complete swing of the coil under experimental conditions is about 11 seconds.

Response in the Living and Non-Living |Jagadis Chunder Bose
It takes time to get a full-sized stream going through a coil because of the inductance of the coil.

Letters of a Radio-Engineer to His Son |John Mills

British Dictionary definitions for coil (1 of 2)

coil ¹

/ (kɔɪl) /

verb

to wind or gather (ropes, hair, etc) into loops or (of rope, hair, etc) to be formed in such loops

(intr) to move in a winding course

noun

something wound in a connected series of loops

a single loop of such a series

an arrangement of pipes in a spiral or loop, as in a condenser

an electrical conductor wound into the form of a spiral, sometimes with a soft iron core, to provide inductance or a magnetic field See also induction coil

an intrauterine contraceptive device in the shape of a coil

the transformer in a petrol engine that supplies the high voltage to the sparking plugs

Derived forms of coil

coiler, noun

Word Origin for coil

C16: from Old French coillir to collect together; see cull

British Dictionary definitions for coil (2 of 2)

coil ²

/ (kɔɪl) /

noun

the troubles and activities of the world (in the Shakespearean phrase this mortal coil)

Word Origin for coil

C16: of unknown origin

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

coil

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

noun

Origin of coil

OTHER WORDS FROM coil

Words nearby coil

Definition for coil (2 of 2)

noun

Origin of coil

Example sentences from the Web for coil

British Dictionary definitions for coil (1 of 2)

verb

noun

Derived forms of coil

Word Origin for coil

British Dictionary definitions for coil (2 of 2)

noun

Word Origin for coil

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

coil

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

noun

Origin of coil

OTHER WORDS FROM coil

Words nearby coil

Definition for coil (2 of 2)

noun

Origin of coil

Words related to coil

Example sentences from the Web for coil

British Dictionary definitions for coil (1 of 2)

verb

noun

Derived forms of coil

Word Origin for coil

British Dictionary definitions for coil (2 of 2)

noun

Word Origin for coil