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Coil vs Orbit - What's the difference?

coil | orbit |

As nouns the difference between coil and orbit

is that coil is something wound in the form of a helix or spiral or coil can be a noise, tumult, bustle, or turmoil while orbit is orbit (path of one object around another object).

As a verb coil

is to wind or reel eg 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 [...].
    Quotations
    * (English Citations of "coil")
    Derived terms
    * mortal coil

    External links

    * *

    Anagrams

    * ----

    orbit

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A circular or elliptical path of one object around another object.
    • The Moon's orbit around the Earth takes nearly one month to complete.
  • A sphere of influence; an area of control.
    • In the post WWII era, several eastern European countries came into the orbit of the Soviet Union.
  • The course of one's usual progression, or the extent of one's typical range.
    • The convenience store was a heavily travelled point in her daily orbit , as she purchased both cigarettes and lottery tickets there.
  • (anatomy) The bony cavity containing the eyeball; the eye socket.
  • (physics) The path an electron takes around an atom's nucleus.
  • (mathematics) A collection of points related by the evolution function of a dynamical system.

    • Derived terms

    * *

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To circle or revolve around another object.
    • The Earth orbits the Sun.
  • To move around the general vicinity of something.
    • The harried mother had a cloud of children orbiting her, asking for sweets.
  • To place an object into an orbit around a planet.
    • A rocket was used to orbit the satellite.

    Synonyms

    * (move around the general vicinity of) circumambulate, tag along * (place an object into an orbit) launch

    Derived terms

    * orbital

    See also

    * satellite * (wikipedia "orbit")