coiled; coiling; coils
1
: to wind into rings or spirals
coil a rope
2
: to roll or twist into a shape resembling a coil
coiled herself up on the couch
plural coils
1
a(1)
: a series of loops
(2)
: spiral
b
: a single loop of such a coil
2
a
: a number of turns of wire wound around a core (as of iron) to create a magnetic field for an electromagnet or an induction coil
b
3
: a series of connected pipes in rows, layers, or windings
4
: a roll of postage stamps
also
: a stamp from such a roll
5
medical
: intrauterine device
That means no condoms, no pills, no coils or sterilization …—
Christine M. Flowers
Christine M. FlowersThe IUD or 'coil' is a small plastic (or plastic and copper) device, not much longer than a match, which is placed inside your womb, where it prevents you from getting pregnant. It's often called a 'coil' because most of the original IUDs were coil-shaped.—David Delvin
David DelvinExamples of coil in a Sentence
Noun (1)
amidst the coil of the office renovations, we even managed to get some work done
Verb
She coiled the loose thread around her finger.
A long scarf was coiled around her neck.
The cat coiled up into a ball.
The snake coiled around its prey.
Recent Examples on the Web
David Axe, Forbes.com, 30 Mar. 2025
Induction stoves heat pans with magnetism rather than flames or an electric coil.
—Jeff Brady, NPR, 19 Mar. 2025
Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 23 Apr. 2025
It’s been two years since the devastating season 1 finale of The Last of Us, HBO’s adaptation of the 2013 Naughty Dog video game that coiled its tendrils around our throats and yanked us into a bleak apocalypse.
—Sara Netzley, EW.com, 14 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for coil
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Noun
Carefully driven to the front line by a remote operator seeing what the ’bot’s own front-facing camera sees, the UGV hooks the end of the coil onto existing wire—and then unspools the rest of the coil.
—David Axe, Forbes.com, 30 Mar. 2025
Induction stoves heat pans with magnetism rather than flames or an electric coil.
—Jeff Brady, NPR, 19 Mar. 2025
Verb
Curled under a rock was the tiniest snake ever recorded — slender as spaghetti, small enough to coil on a U.S. quarter.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 23 Apr. 2025
It’s been two years since the devastating season 1 finale of The Last of Us, HBO’s adaptation of the 2013 Naughty Dog video game that coiled its tendrils around our throats and yanked us into a bleak apocalypse.
—Sara Netzley, EW.com, 14 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for coil
Cite this Entry
“Coil.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coil. Accessed 29 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
coil
1 of 2 verb1
: to wind into or lie in loops, rings, or a spiral
2
: to move in a circular, spiral, or winding direction
coil
2 of 2 noun1
a
: a series of loops : spiral
b
: a single loop of a coil
2
a
: a number of turns of wire wound around a core (as of iron) to create a magnetic field for an electromagnet or an induction coil
b
3
: a series of connected pipes (as in water-heating apparatus) in rows, layers, or windings
Medical Definition
coil
nounLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
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