COIL

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does coil mean? 

• COIL (noun)
  The noun COIL has 6 senses:

1. a structure consisting of something wound in a continuous series of loops

2. a round shape formed by a series of concentric circles (as formed by leaves or flower petals)

3. a transformer that supplies high voltage to spark plugs in a gasoline engine

4. a contraceptive device placed inside a woman's womb

5. tubing that is wound in a spiral

6. reactor consisting of a spiral of insulated wire that introduces inductance into a circuit

  Familiarity information: COIL used as a noun is common.

• COIL (verb)
  The verb COIL has 3 senses:

1. to wind or move in a spiral course

2. make without a potter's wheel

3. wind around something in coils or loops

  Familiarity information: COIL used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• COIL (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A structure consisting of something wound in a continuous series of loops

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

coil; helix; spiral; volute; whorl

Context example:

a coil of rope

Hypernyms ("coil" is a kind of...):

construction; structure (a thing constructed; a complex entity constructed of many parts)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "coil"):

hank (a coil of rope or wool or yarn)

Derivation:

coil (wind around something in coils or loops)

coil (to wind or move in a spiral course)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A round shape formed by a series of concentric circles (as formed by leaves or flower petals)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting two and three dimensional shapes

Synonyms:

coil; curl; curlicue; gyre; ringlet; roll; scroll; whorl

Hypernyms ("coil" is a kind of...):

round shape (a shape that is curved and without sharp angles)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "coil"):

corolla ((botany) the whorl of petals of a flower that collectively form an inner floral envelope or layer of the perianth)

calyx ((botany) the whorl of sepals of a flower collectively forming the outer floral envelope or layer of the perianth enclosing and supporting the developing bud; usually green)

verticil (a whorl of leaves growing around a stem)

Derivation:

coil (wind around something in coils or loops)

coil (to wind or move in a spiral course)

Sense 3

Meaning:

A transformer that supplies high voltage to spark plugs in a gasoline engine

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("coil" is a kind of...):

transformer (an electrical device by which alternating current of one voltage is changed to another voltage)

Sense 4

Meaning:

A contraceptive device placed inside a woman's womb

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("coil" is a kind of...):

birth control device; contraceptive; contraceptive device; preventative; preventive; prophylactic device (an agent or device intended to prevent conception)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Tubing that is wound in a spiral

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("coil" is a kind of...):

tube; tubing (conduit consisting of a long hollow object (usually cylindrical) used to hold and conduct objects or liquids or gases)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "coil"):

condenser (a hollow coil that condenses by abstracting heat)

Sense 6

Meaning:

Reactor consisting of a spiral of insulated wire that introduces inductance into a circuit

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("coil" is a kind of...):

reactor (an electrical device used to introduce reactance into a circuit)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "coil"):

armature (coil in which voltage is induced by motion through a magnetic field)

astatic coils (an arrangement of coils used in sensitive electrical instruments; the coils are arranged to give zero resultant external magnetic field when a current passes through them and to have zero electromotive force induced in them by an external magnetic field)

choke; choke coil; choking coil (a coil of low resistance and high inductance used in electrical circuits to pass direct current and attenuate alternating current)

field coil; field winding (the electric coil around a field magnet that produces the magneto motive force to set up the flux in an electric machine)

induction coil (a coil for producing a high voltage from a low-voltage source)

primary; primary coil; primary winding (coil forming the part of an electrical circuit such that changing current in it induces a current in a neighboring circuit)

head; read/write head ((computer science) a tiny electromagnetic coil and metal pole used to write and read magnetic patterns on a disk)

secondary; secondary coil; secondary winding (coil such that current is induced in it by passing a current through the primary coil)

solenoid (a coil of wire around an iron core; becomes a magnet when current passes through the coil)

tickler coil (a small coil in series with the anode of a vacuum tube and coupled to the grid to provide feedback)

• COIL (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they coil    ... he / she / it coils   
Past simple: coiled   
Past participle: coiled   
-ing form: coiling   

Sense 1

Meaning:

To wind or move in a spiral course

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

coil; gyrate; spiral

Context example:

the young people gyrated on the dance floor

Hypernyms (to "coil" is one way to...):

turn (change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Something is ----ing PP

Derivation:

coil (a structure consisting of something wound in a continuous series of loops)

coil (a round shape formed by a series of concentric circles (as formed by leaves or flower petals))

Sense 2

Meaning:

Make without a potter's wheel

Classified under:

Verbs of sewing, baking, painting, performing

Synonyms:

coil; hand-build; handbuild

Context example:

This famous potter hand-builds all of her vessels

Hypernyms (to "coil" is one way to...):

forge; form; mold; mould; shape; work (make something, usually for a specific function)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 3

Meaning:

Wind around something in coils or loops

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

coil; curl; loop

Hypernyms (to "coil" is one way to...):

roll; twine; wind; wrap (arrange or or coil around)

Sentence frames:

Something is ----ing PP
Somebody ----s something PP

Sentence examples:

They coil the wire around the stick
The wires coil around the stick

Antonym:

uncoil (unwind or untwist)

Derivation:

coil (a structure consisting of something wound in a continuous series of loops)

coil (a round shape formed by a series of concentric circles (as formed by leaves or flower petals))

 Context examples 

It occurs in two states, euchromatin and heterochromatin, with different staining properties, and during cell division, it coils and folds to form the chromosomes.

(Chromatin Structure, NCI Thesaurus)

This allele, which encodes serine-rich coiled-coil domain-containing protein 1, may play a role in mitosis.

(CCSER1 wt Allele, NCI Thesaurus)

This species is urease and lipase negative, ferments cellobiose, fructose, galactose but not mannitol, hydrolyzes esculin, degrades mucin in the gastrointestinal tract and may appear helically coiled under the microscope.

(Clostridium cocleatum, NCI Thesaurus)

Coiled-coil alpha-helical rod protein 1 (782 aa, ~89 kDa) is encoded by the human CCHCR1 gene.

(Coiled-Coil Alpha-Helical Rod Protein 1, NCI Thesaurus)

In fact, many structural proteins (keratins, tropomyosin, laminin) that have to bear considerable stress have a coiled-coil domain.

(Coiled-Coil Domain, NCI Thesaurus)

This allele, which encodes coiled-coil alpha-helical rod protein 1, may play a role in keratinocyte differentiation and proliferation.

(CCHCR1 wt Allele, NCI Thesaurus)

This allele, which encodes coiled-coil domain-containing protein 6, is involved in tumor suppression.

(CCDC6 wt Allele, NCI Thesaurus)

Eleven minutes and 33 seconds later, Juno had covered another 24,713 miles (39,771 kilometers), and was passing directly above the coiling, crimson cloud tops of the Great Red Spot.

(NASA’s Juno Spacecraft Spots Jupiter’s Great Red Spot, NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory)

To make the yarns highly elastic, they introduced so much twist that the yarns coiled like an over-twisted rubber band.

(Energy-Harvesting Yarns Generate Electricity, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

Encoded by human APPBP2 Gene, ubiquitous 70 kD cytoplasmic Amyloid Beta Precursor Protein-Binding Protein 2 contains terminal globular structures, a coiled coil domain, PKC phosphorylation sites, and four imperfect C-terminal tandem repeats.

(Amyloid Beta Precursor Protein-Binding Protein 2, NCI Thesaurus)