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Coiled vs Spiral - What's the difference?

coiled | spiral |

As verbs the difference between coiled and spiral

is that coiled is past tense of coil while spiral is to move along the path of a spiral or helix.

As adjectives the difference between coiled and spiral

is that coiled is in the form of coils; having coils while spiral is helical, like a spiral.

As a noun spiral is

a curve that is the locus of a point that rotates about a fixed point while continuously increasing its distance from that point.

coiled

English

Verb

(head)
  • (coil)
  • Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • In the form of coils; having coils.
  • a coiled serpent
  • Prepared and poised to act, as a snake that has coiled its lower body so it can strike
  • * {{quote-news
  • , year=2012 , date=May 9 , author=Jonathan Wilson , title=Europa League: Radamel Falcao's Atlético Madrid rout Athletic Bilbao , work=the Guardian citation , page= , passage=Two first-half goals from the Colombian forward Radamel Falcao won the game, allowing Atlético to spend the final hour or so sitting deep, coiled always for a breakaway.}}

    Synonyms

    * looped

    Anagrams

    * *

    spiral

    English

    (wikipedia spiral)

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (geometry) A curve that is the locus of a point that rotates about a fixed point while continuously increasing its distance from that point.
  • (informal) A helix.
  • A self-sustaining process with a lot of momentum involved, so it is difficult to accelerate or stop it at once.
  • Derived terms

    * death spiral * downward spiral * graveyard spiral * spiral staircase * upward spiral

    Adjective

    (-)
  • Helical, like a spiral
  • Verb

  • To move along the path of a spiral or helix.
  • The falling leaves spiralled down from the tree.
  • (figuratively) To increase continually.
  • Her debts were spiralling out of control.

    Anagrams

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