ENGLISH
REFERENCE

coil

n. countable
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈkɔɪɫ// UK //kˈɔɪl// coil Archaic Informal Slang

n. a length of something like wire or rope that is wound into a series of loops or circles. You often see this shape in springs or electrical parts.

n. a series of connected spirals or concentric rings formed by winding a flexible material. Often used in electrical contexts to describe a conductor wound around a core to create an inductor or electromagnet.


SIMPLE

The snake lay in a tight coil on the warm rock.

CONTEXTUAL

The technician replaced the ignition coil to fix the engine's recurring starting problem.

COMPLEX

A thick coil of copper wire sat on the workbench, ready to be wound into the transformer for the new power supply unit.

Synonyms
Antonyms
Etymology 1

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.

Etymology 2

Unknown.

Usage

Often used with 'of' to describe the material being wound, such as 'a coil of rope' or 'a coil of wire'.

Idioms2 entries

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