coil en · NOUN · etymology 1
Pronunciation
- /koj(ə)l/ (British, Southern, Standard)
- /kɔɪl/ (Received-Pronunciation, US)
- (US) audio
- /koɪ(.ə)l/ (Australia, New-Zealand)
- /kwaɪl/ (Appalachia, obsolete)
Etymology
From Middle English coilen, from Old French coillir, cuillir (“to gather, pluck, pick, cull”) (modern French cueillir), from Latin colligō (“to gather together”), past participle collectus, from com- (“together”) + legō (“to gather”); compare legend. Doublet of cull.
Meanings
-
Something wound in the form of a helix or spiral.
the sinuous coils of a snake
The wild grapevines that twisted their coils or tendrils from tree to tree.
1819 June 23 – 1820 September 13, Geoffrey Crayon [pseudonym; Washington Irving], “(please specify the title)”, in The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent., New York, N.Y.: […] C[ornelius] S. Van Winkle, […], →OCLC:
-
(colloquial) Any intrauterine device for contraception (originally coil-shaped).
And now, finally, the contraceptive burden would fall on me. After Hayley’s years of toil with a coil, and the pain of childbirth, I was due a little discomfort.
2026 May 11, Tim Burrows, “My first thought after having a vasectomy: why aren’t more British men having them?”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:‘I’m gonna go on the pill and get fitted for a coil. I don’t wanna be pregnant. Ever. Again!’
2020, Paul Mendez, Rainbow Milk, Dialogue Books (2021), page 293:
- A coil of electrically conductive wire through which electricity can flow.
- A cylinder of clay.
-
(figuratively) Entanglement; perplexity.
What trifling coil do we mortals keep; Wake, eat, and drink, evacuate, and sleep.
a. 1722, Matthew Prior, “Human Life”, in H. Bunker Wright, Monroe K. Spears, editors, The Literary Works of Matthew Prior, Second edition, volume I, Oxford: Clarendon Press, published 1971, page 687:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| coils | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
field coil · coil gun · blowout coil · coily · eigencoil · coilgun · inductance coil · pedestal coil · tickler coil · mosquito coil · telecoil · voice coil · overcoil · coilin · coil spring · resistance coil · alpine coil · coilover · audio coil · load coil · choking coil · upcoil · Oudin coil · Flemish coil · cryocoil · honeycomb coil · induction coil · Helmholtz coil · coil whine · impedance coil · Rogowski coil · coil winder · Ruhmkorff coil · ignition coil · loading coil · microcoil · coil-sprung · multicoil · head coil · shading coil · supercoil · plate number coil · chokecoil · spark coil · Tesla coil · coilless
Descendants
Synonyms
Translations (96)
tl kidkid (coil of electrically conductive wire through which electricity can flow — see also inductor) · cmn 螺線 /螺线 (something wound) · hi कुंडली (something wound) · es bobinado (coil of electrically conductive wire through which electricity can flow — see also inductor) · es bobina (coil of electrically conductive wire through which electricity can flow — see also inductor) · da spiral (something wound) · uk спіра́ль (something wound) · bg боби́на (coil of electrically conductive wire through which electricity can flow — see also inductor) · ja コイル (coil of electrically conductive wire through which electricity can flow — see also inductor) · es arrollamiento (coil of electrically conductive wire through which electricity can flow — see also inductor) · ja 渦状 (something wound) · fi vyyhti (something wound) · hy գալար (something wound) · es espiral (something wound) · grc περίβολος (something wound) · et spiraal (something wound) · de Spirale (something wound) · fr spire (something wound) · ja とぐろ (something wound) · oc espira (something wound) · lv ritulis (something wound) · ru шпу́лька (coil of electrically conductive wire through which electricity can flow — see also inductor) · uk коту́шка (coil of electrically conductive wire through which electricity can flow — see also inductor) · gd lùb (something wound) · nl veer (something wound) · tr bobin (coil of electrically conductive wire through which electricity can flow — see also inductor) · fi kela (something wound) · ota بوبین (coil of electrically conductive wire through which electricity can flow — see also inductor) · es serpentino (coil of electrically conductive wire through which electricity can flow — see also inductor) · is verri (something wound) · hy կոճ (coil of electrically conductive wire through which electricity can flow — see also inductor) · it bobina (coil of electrically conductive wire through which electricity can flow — see also inductor) · mk на́мотка (something wound) · tr makara (something wound) · ru спира́ль (something wound) · eo bobeno (coil of electrically conductive wire through which electricity can flow — see also inductor) · fi kela (coil of electrically conductive wire through which electricity can flow — see also inductor) · it spirale (something wound) · ru вито́к (something wound) · mi pōkai (something wound) · ja 螺旋 (something wound) · nb spiral (something wound) · es hélice (something wound) · pt bobina (coil of electrically conductive wire through which electricity can flow — see also inductor) · grc σπείραμα (something wound) · nl spiraal (something wound) · pl zwój (something wound) · fr bobine (coil of electrically conductive wire through which electricity can flow — see also inductor) · da spole (coil of electrically conductive wire through which electricity can flow — see also inductor) · oc bobina (coil of electrically conductive wire through which electricity can flow — see also inductor) · bg нави́вка (something wound) · uk кото́к (coil of electrically conductive wire through which electricity can flow — see also inductor) · cmn 線圈 /线圈 (coil of electrically conductive wire through which electricity can flow — see also inductor) · el πηνίο (coil of electrically conductive wire through which electricity can flow — see also inductor) · nb kveil (something wound) · cs spirála (something wound) · el σπείρα (something wound) · km បូប៊ីន (coil of electrically conductive wire through which electricity can flow — see also inductor) · ang bend (something wound) · ar وَشِيعَة (something wound) · sv rulle (something wound) · cmn 螺旋 (something wound) · el κουλούρα (something wound) · nl spoel (coil of electrically conductive wire through which electricity can flow — see also inductor) · es devanado (coil of electrically conductive wire through which electricity can flow — see also inductor) · ru боби́на (coil of electrically conductive wire through which electricity can flow — see also inductor) · uk кото́к (something wound) · sl tuljava (coil of electrically conductive wire through which electricity can flow — see also inductor) · ru кату́шка (coil of electrically conductive wire through which electricity can flow — see also inductor) · ar مِلَفّ (something wound) · de Rolle (something wound) · is spóla (coil of electrically conductive wire through which electricity can flow — see also inductor) · mr गुंडाळी (something wound) · ar وَشِيعَة (coil of electrically conductive wire through which electricity can flow — see also inductor) · bg намо́тка (something wound) · az sarğac (coil of electrically conductive wire through which electricity can flow — see also inductor) · pt espiral (something wound) · ru кольцо́ (something wound) · grc σπεῖρα (something wound) · cs cívka (coil of electrically conductive wire through which electricity can flow — see also inductor) · nn spiral (something wound) · de Windung (something wound) · sv spiral (something wound) · et pool (coil of electrically conductive wire through which electricity can flow — see also inductor) · pl cewka (coil of electrically conductive wire through which electricity can flow — see also inductor) · et mähis (coil of electrically conductive wire through which electricity can flow — see also inductor) · sv spole (coil of electrically conductive wire through which electricity can flow — see also inductor) · et keerd (something wound) · fi käämi (coil of electrically conductive wire through which electricity can flow — see also inductor) · de Spule (coil of electrically conductive wire through which electricity can flow — see also inductor) · de Wickel (something wound) · fi kierukka (something wound) · uk коту́шка (something wound) · vi cuộn cảm (coil of electrically conductive wire through which electricity can flow — see also inductor) · is spírall (something wound) · es carrete (coil of electrically conductive wire through which electricity can flow — see also inductor)