coil

n. [ Of Celtic origin; cf. Gael. goil fume, rage. ] A noise, tumult, bustle, or confusion. [ Obs. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Coiled (koild); p. pr. & vb. n. Coiling. ] [ OF. coillir, F. cueillir, to collect, gather together, L. coligere; col- + legere to gather. See Legend, and cf. Cull, v. t., Collect. ] 1. To wind cylindrically or spirally; as, to coil a rope when not in use; the snake coiled itself before springing. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To encircle and hold with, or as with, coils. [ Obs. or R. ] T. Edwards. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To wind itself cylindrically or spirally; to form a coil; to wind; -- often with about or around. [ 1913 Webster ]

You can see his flery serpents . . .
Coiting, playing in the water. Longfellow. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. A ring, series of rings, or spiral, into which a rope, or other like thing, is wound. [ 1913 Webster ]

The wild grapevines that twisted their coils from trec to tree. W. Irving. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Fig.: Entanglement; toil; mesh; perplexity. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A series of connected pipes in rows or layers, as in a steam heating apparatus. [ 1913 Webster ]

Induction coil. (Elec.) See under Induction. --
Ruhmkorff's coil (Elec.), an induction coil, sometimes so called from Ruhmkorff a prominent manufacturer of the apparatus. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. curled or wound especially in concentric rings or spirals; as, a coiled snake ready to strike; the rope lay coiled on the deck. Opposite of uncoiled. [ Narrower terms: coiling, helical, spiral, spiraling, volute, voluted, whorled; convolute rolled longitudinally upon itself;curled, curled up; involute closely coiled so that the axis is obscured); looped, whorled; twined, twisted; convoluted; involute, rolled esp of petals or leaves in bud: having margins rolled inward); wound ] [ WordNet 1.5 ]

adj. 1. 1
Syn. -- helical, spiral, spiraling, volute, voluted, whorled. [ WordNet 1.5 ]