Adjacent Words

Coil definitions

	Tweet

Webster's 1828 Dictionary

COIL, v.t. To gather, as a line or cord into a circular form; to wind into a ring, as a serpent, or a rope.
COIL, n.
1. A rope gathered into a ring; on shipboard, a single turn or winding is called a fake, and a range of fakes is called a tier.
2. A noise, tumult, bustle.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a structure consisting of something wound in a continuous series of loops; "a coil of rope" [syn: coil, spiral, volute, whorl, helix]
2: a round shape formed by a series of concentric circles (as formed by leaves or flower petals) [syn: coil, whorl, roll, curl, curlicue, ringlet, gyre, scroll]
3: a transformer that supplies high voltage to spark plugs in a gasoline engine
4: a contraceptive device placed inside a woman's womb
5: tubing that is wound in a spiral
6: reactor consisting of a spiral of insulated wire that introduces inductance into a circuit v
1: to wind or move in a spiral course; "the muscles and nerves of his fine drawn body were coiling for action"; "black smoke coiling up into the sky"; "the young people gyrated on the dance floor" [syn: gyrate, spiral, coil]
2: make without a potter's wheel; "This famous potter hand- builds all of her vessels" [syn: handbuild, hand-build, coil]
3: wind around something in coils or loops [syn: coil, loop, curl] [ant: uncoil]

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Etymology: origin unknown Date: 1567 1. turmoil 2. trouble; also everyday cares and worries <when we have shuffled off this mortal coil — Shakespeare> II. verb Etymology: French coillir, cuillir to gather — more at cull Date: 1611 transitive verb 1. to wind into rings or spirals <coil a rope> 2. to roll or twist into a shape resembling a coil <coiled herself up on the couch> intransitive verb 1. to move in a circular or spiral course 2. to form or lie in a coil • coilability noun III. noun Date: 1661 1. a. (1) a series of loops (2) spiral b. a single loop of such a coil 2. a. a number of turns of wire wound around a core (as of iron) to create a magnetic field for an electromagnet or an induction coil b. induction coil 3. a series of connected pipes in rows, layers, or windings 4. a roll of postage stamps; also a stamp from such a roll

Oxford Reference Dictionary

1. n. & v. --n. 1 anything arranged in a joined sequence of concentric circles. 2 a length of rope, a spring, etc., arranged in this way. 3 a single turn of something coiled, e.g. a snake. 4 a lock of hair twisted and coiled. 5 an intra-uterine contraceptive device in the form of a coil. 6 Electr. a device consisting of a coiled wire for converting low voltage to high voltage, esp. for transmission to the sparking plugs of an internal-combustion engine. 7 a piece of wire, piping, etc., wound in circles or spirals. 8 a roll of postage stamps. --v. 1 tr. arrange in a series of concentric loops or rings. 2 tr. & intr. twist or be twisted into a circular or spiral shape. 3 intr. move sinuously. Etymology: OF coillir f. L colligere COLLECT(1) 2. n. Phrases and idioms: this mortal coil the difficulties of earthly life (with ref. to Shakesp. Hamlet III. i. 67). Etymology: 16th c.: orig. unkn.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Coil Coil, v. i. To wind itself cylindrically or spirally; to form a coil; to wind; -- often with about or around. You can see his flery serpents . . . Coiting, playing in the water. --Longfellow.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Coil Coil, n. 1. A ring, series of rings, or spiral, into which a rope, or other like thing, is wound. The wild grapevines that twisted their coils from trec to tree. --W. Irving. 2. Fig.: Entanglement; toil; mesh; perplexity. 3. A series of connected pipes in rows or layers, as in a steam heating apparatus. Induction coil. (Elec.) See under Induction. Ruhmkorff's coil (Elec.), an induction coil, sometimes so called from Ruhmkorff, a prominent manufacturer of the apparatus.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Coil Coil, n. [Of Celtic origin; cf. Gael. goil fume, rage.] A noise, tumult, bustle, or confusion. [Obs.] --Shak.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Coil Coil (koil), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Coiled (koild); p. pr. & vb. n. Coiling.] [OF. coillir, F. cueillir, to collect, gather together, L. coligere; col- + legere to gather. See Legend, and cf. Cull, v. t., Collect.] 1. To wind cylindrically or spirally; as, to coil a rope when not in use; the snake coiled itself before springing. 2. To encircle and hold with, or as with, coils. [Obs. or R.] --T. Edwards.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(coils, coiling, coiled) 1. A coil of rope or wire is a length of it that has been wound into a series of loops. Tod shook his head angrily and slung the coil of rope over his shoulder... The steel arrives at the factory in coils. N-COUNT: oft N of n 2. A coil is one loop in a series of loops. Pythons kill by tightening their coils so that their victim cannot breathe. N-COUNT 3. A coil is a thick spiral of wire through which an electrical current passes. N-COUNT 4. The coil is a contraceptive device used by women. It is fitted inside a woman's womb, usually for several months or years. N-COUNT: usu the N in sing 5. If you coil something, you wind it into a series of loops or into the shape of a ring. If it coils around something, it forms loops or a ring. He turned off the water and began to coil the hose... A huge rattlesnake lay coiled on the blanket. VERB: V n, V-ed • Coil up means the same as coil. Once we have the wire, we can coil it up into the shape of a spring... Her hair was coiled up on top of her head. PHRASAL VERB: V n P, V-ed P, also V P n (not pron)

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. v. a. Gather into a coil, lay into a spiral. II. v. n. Make coils, form spiral rings. III. n. 1. Convolution, circular heap, spiral ring, spiral. 2. Perplexities, entanglements, tumult, bustle, care, turmoil, clamor, confusion, uproar.

Moby Thesaurus

bolt, braid, brouhaha, bun, chignon, circles, cirrus, coil, corkscrew, crimp, crisp, cue, curl, curlicue, entwine, enwrap, evolute, foofaraw, furore, gyre, helix, involute, kink, knot, loop, part, piece, pigtail, plait, portion, queue, rattail, revolve, ringlet, roll, rotate, ruckus, rumpus, run, screw, scroll, shindig, shindy, snake, spiral, strip, swirl, tail, tendril, topknot, turn, twine, twirl, twist, uproar, volute, volution, vortex, whirl, whorl, wind, wrap, wreathe