coil
Noun · VerbOpen English WordNet
Verb (3)coils, coiled, coiling
- 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”Synonyms: gyratespiralMore general turn
- make without a potter's wheel“This famous potter hand-builds all of her vessels”Synonyms: handbuildhand-buildMore general shape, form
- wind around something in coils or loopsSynonyms: loopcurlOpposite uncoilMore general wind, wrap
Noun (6)coils
- a structure consisting of something wound in a continuous series of loops“a coil of rope”Synonyms: spiralvolutewhorlhelixType of structure, constructionKinds buntline coil, hank
- a round shape formed by a series of concentric circles (as formed by leaves or flower petals)Synonyms: whorlrollcurlcurlicueringletgyrescrollType of round shapeKinds calyx, corolla, verticil
- a transformer that supplies high voltage to spark plugs in a gasoline engineType of transformer
- a contraceptive device placed inside a woman's wombType of contraceptive, preventive
- tubing that is wound in a spiralType of tube, tubingKinds condenser
- reactor consisting of a spiral of insulated wire that introduces inductance into a circuitType of reactorKinds field coil, read/write head, primary coil, tickler coil, choke, astatic coils, armature, induction coil, solenoid, secondary coil
What does it mean? Question 1 of today’s quiz
Webster's Dictionary (1913)
Origin: OF. coillir, F. cueillir, to collect, gather together, L. coligere; col- + legere to gather. See Legend, and cf. Cull, transitive verb, 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. obsolete or rare Thomas Edwards
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.— Henry W. Longfellow
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.— Washington 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. Electricity See under Induction. — Ruhmkorff's coil Electricity, an induction coil, sometimes so called from Ruhmkorff (…), a prominent manufacturer of the apparatus.
Origin: Of Celtic origin; cf. Gael. goil fume, rage.
A noise, tumult, bustle, or confusion. obsolete William Shakespeare
Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), from GCIDE 0.54