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Coil vs Conductor - What's the difference?

coil | conductor |

As nouns the difference between coil and conductor

is that coil is something wound in the form of a helix or spiral while conductor is one who conducts or leads; a guide; a director.

As a verb coil

is to wind or reel e.g. a wire or rope into regular rings, often around a centerpiece.

coil

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl) ; compare legend.

Noun

(en noun)
  • Something wound in the form of a helix or spiral.
  • the sinuous coils of a snake
  • * Washington Irving
  • The wild grapevines that twisted their coils from tree to tree.
  • Any intra-uterine contraceptive device (Abbreviation: IUD )—the first IUDs were coil-shaped.
  • (electrical) A coil of electrically conductive wire through which electricity can flow.
  • (figurative) Entanglement; perplexity.
  • Synonyms
    * (coil of conductive wire) inductor
    Derived terms
    * coil spring * impedance coil * mosquito coil * Oudin coil * Tesla coil

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To wind or reel e.g. a wire or rope into regular rings, often around a centerpiece.
  • A simple transformer can be made by coiling two pieces of insulated copper wire around an iron heart.
  • To wind into loops (roughly) around a common center.
  • The sailor coiled the free end of the hawser on the pier.
  • To wind cylindrically or spirally.
  • to coil a rope when not in use
    The snake coiled itself before springing.
  • (obsolete, rare) To encircle and hold with, or as if with, coils.
  • Etymology 2

    Origin unknown.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A noise, tumult, bustle, or turmoil.
  • * 1594 , William Shakespeare, Titus Andronicus , Act III:
  • If the windes rage, doth not the Sea wax mad, / Threatning the welkin with his big-swolne face? / And wilt thou haue a reason for this coile ?
  • * 1624 , John Smith, Generall Historie , in Kupperman 1988, p. 162:
  • this great Savage desired also to see him. A great coyle there was to set him forward.
  • * 1704 , Jonathan Swift, A Tale of a Tub :
  • they continued so extremely fond of gold, that if Peter sent them abroad, though it were only upon a compliment, they would roar, and spit, and belch, and piss, and f—t, and snivel out fire, and keep a perpetual coil , till you flung them a bit of gold [...].
    Derived terms
    * mortal coil

    Anagrams

    * ----

    conductor

    English

    Alternative forms

    * conductour (obsolete)

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • One who conducts or leads; a guide; a director.
  • * Dryden
  • Zeal, the blind conductor of the will.
  • (music) A person who conducts an orchestra, choir or other music ensemble; a professional whose occupation is conducting.
  • A person who takes tickets on public transportation.
  • train conductor'''; tram '''conductor
  • Something that can transmit electricity, heat, light or sound.
  • (mathematics) An ideal of a ring that measures how far it is from being integrally closed
  • * 1988 , F van Oystaeyen, Lieven Le Bruyn, Perspectives in ring theory
  • If c is the conductor ideal for R in R then prime ideals not containing c correspond to localizations yielding discrete valuation rings.
  • A grooved sound or staff used for directing instruments, such as lithontriptic forceps; a director.
  • (architecture) A leader.
  • Antonyms

    * non-conductor (3), nonconductor (3), insulator (3)

    Derived terms

    * lightning conductor

    See also

    * ticket inspector ----