Coil
/kɔɪl/
Definitions
2 meaningsA length of something, such as rope, wire, or hair, wound into a series of concentric circles.
/kɔɪl/
A length of something wound in a spiral.
The electric cord was neatly coiled.
💡 Simply: Think of a snake curling up – that's a coil! It's something wound into a circle or spiral.
👶 For kids: It's like a snake making a circle with its body.
More Examples
The snake lay coiled in the grass.
How It's Used
"The technician carefully unwound the coil of wire."
"A garden hose usually lies coiled up in a corner."
To wind or twist into a spiral shape.
/kɔɪl/
To wind into a spiral or ring.
The snake coiled around the branch.
💡 Simply: To coil something is like making a curly shape with it, just like a snake or a spring.
👶 For kids: To make a circle with something, like a rope.
More Examples
He coiled the wire before storing it.
How It's Used
"She coiled the rope around the post."
"The vine coiled around the tree trunk."
Idioms & expressions
coil up
To wind oneself into a spiral or ring.
"The cat coiled up on the sofa."
From Middle English coile, from Old French coille, from Vulgar Latin *coclea "snail shell," from Latin coclea.
The word 'coil' has been used in a similar sense for centuries, often related to snakes or objects of similar shape.
Memory tip
Imagine a snake coiling itself around a tree.
Word Origin
"snail shell"