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
Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 29 Oct. 2025
These stamps are sold in panes of 20 or coils of 10,000.
—Greta Cross, USA Today, 29 Oct. 2025
Ingfei Chen, New Yorker, 22 Oct. 2025
Anyway, because of the *slightly* complex situation with the aneurysm (nothing bad, just not typical), it wasn’t coiled that weekend.
—Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for coil
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Noun
To achieve continuous production, the researchers replaced the metallic core in earlier SMA coils with natural fiber and redesigned both the weaving machine and the actuator’s structure.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 29 Oct. 2025
These stamps are sold in panes of 20 or coils of 10,000.
—Greta Cross, USA Today, 29 Oct. 2025
Verb
Enormous ventilation pipes were coiled like snakes on the roof of the building.
—Ingfei Chen, New Yorker, 22 Oct. 2025
Anyway, because of the *slightly* complex situation with the aneurysm (nothing bad, just not typical), it wasn’t coiled that weekend.
—Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 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 31 Oct. 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?
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