coil

¹coil

noun \ˈkȯi(-ə)l\

Definition of COIL

1

: turmoil

2

: trouble; also : everyday cares and worries <when we have shuffled off this mortal coil — Shakespeare>

Origin of COIL

origin unknown

First Known Use: 1567

²coil

verb

Definition of COIL

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

— coil·abil·i·ty \ˌkȯi-lə-ˈbi-lə-tē\ noun

Examples of COIL

1. She coiled the loose thread around her finger.
2. A long scarf was coiled around her neck.
3. The cat coiled up into a ball.
4. The snake coiled around its prey.

Origin of COIL

French coillir, cuillir to gather — more at cull

First Known Use: 1611

Related to COIL

Synonyms

wind, corkscrew, curl, entwine, spiral, twine, twist

Related Words

arc, arch, bend, crook, curve, hook, sweep, swerve, turn, veer, wheel; swirl, whirl; circle, encircle, loop; enlace, interlace, intertwine, lace; bow, bulge; meander, weave, zigzag

Near Antonyms

straighten

Rhymes with COIL

boil, broil, foil, moil, oil, royal, soil, spoil, toil

³coil

noun

Definition of COIL

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

First Known Use of COIL

1661

Other Electrical Engineering Terms

feedback, fuse, incandescent, noise, resonance