coil
1a connected series of spirals or rings that rope, wire, or the like has been formed into: A coil of string was wound around the pole.
one of a connected series of spirals or rings that rope, wire, or the like has been formed into: Grab the first coil of the yarn and slip it over the other two.
an arrangement of pipes wound up in a spiral or 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, such as a copper wire, wound up in a spiral or similar form.
a device made up of this type of conductor.
Philately.
a stamp issued in a roll, usually of 500 stamps, and usually perforated vertically or horizontally only.
a roll of such stamps.
to wind into continuous, regularly spaced rings one above the other: The first step of this craft is to coil a wire around a pencil.
to wind on a flat surface into a connected series of rings, one atop 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.
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.
Origin of coil
1Other words from coil
- coil·a·ble, adjective
- coil·a·bil·i·ty [koil-uh-bil-i-tee] /ˌkɔɪl əˈbɪl ɪ ti/ noun
- un·coiled, adjective
Other definitions for coil (2 of 2)
a noisy disturbance; commotion; tumult.
trouble; bustle; ado.
Origin of coil
2Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use coil in a sentence
MagSafe by AppleWireless charging that snaps into placeWireless charging works best when you place the device directly over the induction coil.
As a result, the iPhone 12 has a smaller wireless charging coil in the back, but it works more efficiently because it ensures you put the charger right in the sweet spot every time.
The iPhone 12 Pro is a big upgrade even without the 5G hype | Stan Horaczek | October 28, 2020 | Popular-ScienceWe recently analyzed the geometry and physics of how mammalian brains fold and how vertebrate intestines loop and coil.
When a person presses or releases the button, the magnet moves through a wire coil.
Batteries not included: This Game Boy look-alike doesn’t need them | Maria Temming | October 21, 2020 | Science News For StudentsThe coil allows the iPhone to realize when devices are attached.
All the big announcements from Apple’s iPhone 12 launch event | Stan Horaczek | October 13, 2020 | Popular-Science
Like a Jack in the Box just sprung from coiled captivity, he begins rambling excitedly.
But all of them add up to a coiled-up rage, ready to lash out at the nearest target.
Of Gamers, Gates, and Disco Demolition: The Roots of Reactionary Rage | Arthur Chu | October 16, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTOther models, such as string theory, propose more dimensions, but those are coiled up too small to be seen.
Then the snake coiled around the child and squeezed her to death.
The stories are splintered and refracted, the progressions coiled.
‘True Detective,’ Obsessive-Compulsive Noir, and ‘Twin Peaks’ | Jimmy So | March 14, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTOn his loins was a lion of great fierceness, and coiled round his waist was a hissing mamba (snake).
Uncanny Tales | VariousIn other words, the crown of his head was to be shaven, and his long hair tightly coiled upon the bare place thus made.
Our Little Korean Cousin | H. Lee M. PikeThe string of pearls was coiled up in the midst of the roll of soiled muslin and the badge was pinned to one of the folds.
The Red Year | Louis TracyShe wore her hair quite smooth, with plaits coiled round the back of her head.
Skipper Worse | Alexander Lange KiellandAfter a straight-away run of a hundred yards, it coiled serpentlike around the mountain's crest.
Motor Matt's "Century" Run | Stanley R. Matthews
British Dictionary definitions for coil (1 of 2)
/ (kɔɪl) /
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
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
Origin of coil
1Derived forms of coil
- coiler, noun
British Dictionary definitions for coil (2 of 2)
/ (kɔɪl) /
the troubles and activities of the world (in the Shakespearean phrase this mortal coil)
Origin of coil
2Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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