coil

Plural: coils

Noun

• a structure consisting of something wound in a continuous series of loops
  • "a coil of rope"
• a round shape formed by a series of concentric circles (as formed by leaves or flower petals)
• a transformer that supplies high voltage to spark plugs in a gasoline engine
• a contraceptive device placed inside a woman's womb
• tubing that is wound in a spiral
• reactor consisting of a spiral of insulated wire that introduces inductance into a circuit
• Something wound in the form of a helix or spiral.
• Any intrauterine device (abbreviation: IUD)—the first IUDs were coil-shaped.
• A coil of electrically conductive wire through which electricity can flow.
• A cylinder of clay.
• Entanglement; perplexity.
• A noise, tumult, bustle, or turmoil.
• A wad of cash.

Verb

Verb Forms: coiled, coiling, coils

• To arrange into a spiral or concentric rings.
• 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"
• make without a potter's wheel
• wind around something in coils or loops
• To wind or reel e.g. a wire or rope into regular rings, often around a centerpiece.
• To wind into loops (roughly) around a common center.
• To wind cylindrically or spirally.
• To build a pot (etc) with clay coils.
• To encircle and hold with, or as if with, coils.

Examples

• A simple transformer can be made by coiling two pieces of insulated copper wire around an iron heart.
• The opponent’s long word seemed to COIL across the board, snaking through multiple bonus squares.
• The sailor coiled the free end of the hawser on the pier.
• the sinuous coils of a snake
• The snake coiled itself before springing.
• to coil a rope when not in use

Synonyms

curl, curlicue, gyrate, gyre, hand-build, handbuild, helix, loop, ringlet, roll, scroll, spiral, volute, whorl, inductor

Antonyms

uncoil

Anagrams of coil