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Coil vs Spear - What's the difference?

coil | spear |

As a noun coil

is something wound in the form of a helix or spiral or coil can be a noise, tumult, bustle, or turmoil.

As a verb coil

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

As a proper noun spear is

.

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

    * ----

    spear

    English

    (wikipedia spear)

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A long stick with a sharp tip used as a weapon for throwing or thrusting, or anything used to make a thrusting motion.
  • A soldier armed with such a weapon; a spearman.
  • * 2011 , Thomas Penn, Winter King , Penguin 2012, p. 187:
    • Two of the four spears came directly from Lady Margaret's staff. One was her great-nephew Maurice St John […].
  • A sharp tool used by fishermen to retrieve fish.
  • (ice hockey) an illegal maneuver using the end of a hockey stick to strike into another hockey player.
  • (wrestling) a running tackle on an opponent performed in professional wrestling.
  • A spearman.
    • (Sir Walter Scott)
  • A shoot, as of grass; a spire.
  • The feather of a horse.
  • The rod to which the bucket, or plunger, of a pump is attached; a pump rod.
  • A long, thin strip from a vegetable.
    • asparagus and broccoli spears

    Derived terms

    * spearbush * spear gun * spearhead * spearmint * spear thrower * spear tackle * spearwood

    See also

    * assegai, assagai, assagaie, assagay, assegay, azagaia, hassagay, hassaguay, zagaie, zagaye * atlatl * bayonet * harpoon * javelin * joust * lance * pike * spit, used to grill food on fire * woomera

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To penetrate or strike with, or as if with, any long narrow object. To make a thrusting motion that catches an object on the tip of a long device.
  • To shoot into a long stem, as some plants do.
    • (Mortimer)

    Anagrams

    * ----