coil

[ koil ]

/ kɔɪl /

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See synonyms for: coil / coiled / coiling 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.

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Origin of coil

First recorded in 1605–15; perhaps variant of cull

OTHER WORDS FROM coil

coil·a·ble, adjectivecoil·a·bil·i·ty, nounun·coiled, adjective

Other definitions for coil (2 of 2)

coil²

[ koil ]

/ kɔɪl /

noun Archaic.

a noisy disturbance; commotion; tumult.

trouble; bustle; ado.

Origin of coil

First recorded in 1560–70; origin uncertain

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

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.
The best gadgets of 2020|By Stan Horaczek|December 2, 2020|Popular-Science
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-Science
We recently analyzed the geometry and physics of how mammalian brains fold and how vertebrate intestines loop and coil.
A Scientist Who Delights in the Mundane|Steve Nadis|October 26, 2020|Quanta Magazine
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 Students

The 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.
Rob Marshall Defends ‘Into the Woods’|Kevin Fallon|December 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST
Other models, such as string theory, propose more dimensions, but those are coiled up too small to be seen.
Is the Cosmos Just a Big Hologram?|Matthew R. Francis|August 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Then the snake coiled around the child and squeezed her to death.
The $10 Billion Pet Cheetah and Chimp Industry|Sharon Adarlo|July 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The stories are splintered and refracted, the progressions coiled.
‘True Detective,’ Obsessive-Compulsive Noir, and ‘Twin Peaks’|Jimmy So|March 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
On his loins was a lion of great fierceness, and coiled round his waist was a hissing mamba (snake).
Uncanny Tales|Various
In 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. Pike
The 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 Tracy
She wore her hair quite smooth, with plaits coiled round the back of her head.
Skipper Worse|Alexander Lange Kielland
After 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)

coil¹

/ (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 fieldSee 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)

coil²

/ (kɔɪl) /

noun

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

Word Origin for coil

C16: of unknown origin

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

coil

Origin of coil

OTHER WORDS FROM coil

Other definitions for coil (2 of 2)

Origin of coil

Words related to coil

How to use coil in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for coil (1 of 2)

Derived forms of coil

Word Origin for coil

British Dictionary definitions for coil (2 of 2)

Word Origin for coil