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Origin and Etymology of coil
origin unknown
NEW! Time Traveler
First Known Use: 1567
in the meaning defined at sense 1
See Words from the same yearDefinition of coil
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
Examples of coil in a Sentence
She coiled the loose thread around her finger.
A long scarf was coiled around her neck.
The cat coiled up into a ball.
The snake coiled around its prey.
Origin and Etymology of coil
French coillir, cuillir to gather — more at cull
NEW! Time Traveler
First Known Use: 1611
in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1
See Words from the same yearDefinition of coil
plural coils
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
5
medical
: intrauterine device
- That means no condoms, no pills, no coils or sterilization …
- —Christine M. Flowers
- The IUD or 'coil' is a small plastic (or plastic and copper) device, not much longer than a match, which is placed inside your womb, where it prevents you from getting pregnant. It's often called a 'coil' because most of the original IUDs were coil-shaped.
- —David Delvin
First Known Use of coil
1661
Other Electrical Engineering Terms
COIL Defined for English Language Learners
COIL Defined for Kids
Definition of coil for Students
1
: a circle, a series of circles, or a spiral made by coiling
2
: a long thin piece of material that is wound into circles
Definition of coil for Students
coiled;
coiling
1
: to wind into rings or a spiral
- coil a rope
2
: to form or lie in a coil
- The cat coiled up before the fireplace.
Medical Dictionary
Learn More about coil
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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for coil Spanish Central: Translation of coil Nglish: Translation of coil for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of coil for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about coil
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