coil

Definitions

1. 1.To encircle and hold with, or as with, coils. [Obs. or R.] T. Edwards.
2. 2.To wind itself cylindrically or spirally; to form a coil; to wind; -- often with about or around. You can see his flery serpents . . . Coiting, playing in the water. Longfellow.
3. 3.A ring, series of rings, or spiral, into which a rope, or other like thing, is wound. The wild grapevines that twisted their coils from trec to tree. W. Irving.
4. 4.Fig.: Entanglement; toil; mesh; perplexity.
5. 5.A series of connected pipes in rows or layers, as in a steam heating apparatus. Induction coil. (Elec.) See under Induction. -- Ruhmkorff's coil (Elec.), an induction coil, sometimes so called from Ruhmkorff (, a prominent manufacturer of the apparatus.
6. 6.A noise, tumult, bustle, or confusion. [Obs.] Shak.

Source: Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).

Synonyms

Related questions

• What does "coil" mean?
• What is another word for "coil"?

Reverse-dictionary questions

Definition-first questions whose answer is coil.

• What is to encircle and hold with, or as with, coils. [Obs. or R.] T. Edwards called?
• What is to wind itself cylindrically or spirally; to form a coil; to wind; -- often with about or around. You can see his flery serpents . . . Coiting, playing in the water. Longfellow called?
• What is a ring, series of rings, or spiral, into which a rope, or other like thing, is wound. The wild grapevines that twisted their coils from trec to tree. W. Irving called?
• What is fig.: Entanglement; toil; mesh; perplexity called?
• What is a noise, tumult, bustle, or confusion. [Obs.] Shak called?