Tangle vs Coil - What's the difference?
tangle | coil | Related terms |
to become mixed together or intertwined
to be forced into some kind of situation
to enter into an argument, conflict, dispute, or fight
to mix together or intertwine
to catch and hold
* Milton
* Crashaw
A tangled twisted mass.
A complicated or confused state or condition.
* {{quote-magazine, date=2013-08-03, volume=408, issue=8847, magazine=(The Economist)
, title= An argument, conflict, dispute, or fight.
(mathematics) A region of the projection of a knot such that the knot crosses its perimeter exactly four times.
Any large type of seaweed, especially a species of Laminaria .
* 1849 , , In Memoriam , 10:
(in the plural) An instrument consisting essentiallly of an iron bar to which are attached swabs, or bundles of frayed rope, or other similar substances, used to capture starfishes, sea urchins, and other similar creatures living at the bottom of the sea.
Something wound in the form of a helix or spiral.
* Washington Irving
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.
To wind or reel e.g. a wire or rope into regular rings, often around a centerpiece.
To wind into loops (roughly) around a common center.
To wind cylindrically or spirally.
(obsolete, rare) To encircle and hold with, or as if with, coils.
A noise, tumult, bustle, or turmoil.
* 1594 , William Shakespeare, Titus Andronicus , Act III:
* 1624 , John Smith, Generall Historie , in Kupperman 1988, p. 162:
* 1704 , Jonathan Swift, A Tale of a Tub :
Tangle is a related term of coil.
As verbs the difference between tangle and coil
is that tangle is to become mixed together or intertwined while coil is to wind or reel eg a wire or rope into regular rings, often around a centerpiece.As nouns the difference between tangle and coil
is that tangle is a tangled twisted mass or tangle can be any large type of seaweed, especially a species of laminaria while coil is something wound in the form of a helix or spiral or coil can be a noise, tumult, bustle, or turmoil.tangle
English
(wikipedia tangle)Etymology 1
Origin uncertain; apparently a variant form of (tagle).Verb
(tangl)- Her hair was tangled from a day in the wind.
- Don't tangle with someone three times your size.
- He tangled with the law.
- Tangled in amorous nets.
- When my simple weakness strays, / Tangled in forbidden ways.
Synonyms
* (to become mixed together or intertwined) dishevel, tousle * (to be forced into some kind of situation) drag, drag in, embroil, sweep, sweep up * argue, conflict, dispute, fight * (to mix together or intertwine) entangle, knot, mat, snarl * (to catch and hold) entrapAntonyms
* (to mix together or intertwine) untangle, unsnarlNoun
(en noun)Boundary problems, passage=Economics is a messy discipline: too fluid to be a science, too rigorous to be an art. Perhaps it is fitting that economists’ most-used metric, gross domestic product (GDP), is a tangle too. GDP measures the total value of output in an economic territory. Its apparent simplicity explains why it is scrutinised down to tenths of a percentage point every month.}}
Synonyms
* (tangled twisted mass) knot, mess, snarl * (complicated or confused state or condition) maze, snarl * argument, conflict, dispute, fightEtymology 2
Of Scandinavian origin; compare Norwegian tongul, Faroese tongul, Icelandic .Noun
(en noun)- Than if with thee the roaring wells / Should gulf him fathom-deep in brine; / And hands so often clasped in mine, / Should toss with tangle and with shells.
External links
* * *Anagrams
* English ergative verbscoil
English
Etymology 1
From (etyl) ; compare legend.Noun
(en noun)- the sinuous coils of a snake
- The wild grapevines that twisted their coils from tree to tree.
Synonyms
* (coil of conductive wire) inductorDerived terms
* coil spring * impedance coil * mosquito coil * Oudin coil * Tesla coilVerb
(en verb)- A simple transformer can be made by coiling two pieces of insulated copper wire around an iron heart.
- The sailor coiled the free end of the hawser on the pier.
- to coil a rope when not in use
- The snake coiled itself before springing.
Etymology 2
Origin unknown.Noun
(en noun)- 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 ?
- this great Savage desired also to see him. A great coyle there was to set him forward.
- 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 [...].
