Coil or COIL may refer to:
Geometry
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Helix
A helix () is a shape like a corkscrew or spiral staircase. It is a type of smooth space curve with tangent lines at a constant angle to a fixed axis. Helices are important in biology, as the DNA molecule is formed as two intertwined helices, ...
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Spiral
In mathematics, a spiral is a curve which emanates from a point, moving farther away as it revolves around the point.
Helices
Two major definitions of "spiral" in the American Heritage Dictionary are:[Coil (chemistry)
A coil, in chemistry, is a tube, frequently in spiral form, used commonly to cool steam originating from a distillation and thus to condense it in liquid form. Usually it is of copper or another material that conducts heat easily. However copper ...]
, a tube used to cool and condense steam from a distillation
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Coil spring
A selection of conical coil springs
The most common type of spring is the coil spring, which is made out of a long piece of metal that is wound around itself.
Coil springs were in use in Roman times, evidence of this can be found in bronze Fib ...
, used to store energy, absorb shock, or maintain a force between two surfaces
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Inductor
An inductor, also called a coil, choke, or reactor, is a passive two-terminal electrical component that stores energy in a magnetic field when electric current flows through it. An inductor typically consists of an insulated wire wound into a c ...
or coil, a passive two-terminal electrical component
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Electromagnetic coil
An electromagnetic coil is an electrical Electrical conductivity, conductor such as a wire in the shape of a wiktionary:coil, coil (spiral or helix). Electromagnetic coils are used in electrical engineering, in applications where electric curre ...
, formed when a conductor is wound around a core or form to create an inductor or electromagnet
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Induction coil
An induction coil or "spark coil" (archaically known as an inductorium or Ruhmkorff coil after Heinrich Rühmkorff) is a type of electrical transformer used to produce high-voltage pulses from a low-voltage direct current (DC) supply. p.98 To ...
, a type of electrical transformer used to produce high-voltage pulses from a low-voltage direct current supply
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Ignition coil
An ignition coil (also called a spark coil) is an induction coil in an automobile's ignition system that transforms the battery's voltage to the thousands of volts needed to create an electric spark in the spark plugs to ignite the fuel. So ...
, used in internal combustion engines to create a pulse of high voltage for a spark plug
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Intrauterine device
An intrauterine device (IUD), also known as intrauterine contraceptive device (IUCD or ICD) or coil, is a small, often T-shaped birth control device that is inserted into the uterus to prevent pregnancy. IUDs are one form of long-acting rever ...
or coil, a contraceptive device
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Chemical oxygen iodine laser
A chemical oxygen iodine laser (COIL) is a near–infrared chemical laser. As the beam is infrared, it cannot be seen with the naked eye. It is capable of output power scaling up to megawatts in Laser#Continuous_wave_operation, continuous mode. Its ...
* Coil, a binary digit or
bit
The bit is the most basic unit of information in computing and digital communications. The name is a portmanteau of binary digit. The bit represents a logical state with one of two possible values. These values are most commonly represente ...
in some communication protocols such as Modbus
* COIL, the gene that encodes the protein
coilin
Coilin is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ''COIL'' gene. Coilin got its name from the coiled shape of the Cajal bodies in which it is found. It was first identified using human autoimmune serum.
Function
Coilin protein is one of the ...
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Coiled tubing
In the oil and gas industries, coiled tubing refers to a very long metal pipe, normally in diameter which is supplied spooled on a large reel. It is used for interventions in oil and gas wells and sometimes as production tubing in depleted g ...
Music
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Coil (band)
Coil were an English experimental music group formed in 1982 in London and dissolved in 2005. Initially envisioned as a solo project by musician John Balance (of the band Psychic TV), Coil evolved into a full-time project with the addition of hi ...
, an English experimental band
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''Coil'' (album), a 1997 album by Toad the Wet Sprocket
* "Coil", a song by Opeth from ''
Watershed
Watershed is a hydrological term, which has been adopted in other fields in a more or less figurative sense. It may refer to:
Hydrology
* Drainage divide, the line that separates neighbouring drainage basins
* Drainage basin, called a "watershe ...
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Fictional entities
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The Coil
Cobra (sometimes referred to as Cobra Command) is a fictional terrorist organization and the nemesis of the G.I. Joe Team in the Hasbro action figure toyline '' G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero'' and '' G.I. Joe: Sigma 6'', as well as in related ...
, a fictional organization in the ''G.I. Joe'' universe
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Magnemite or Coil, a ''Pokémon'' character
* Coil, a crime lord from the web serial ''
Worm
Worms are many different distantly related bilateral animals that typically have a long cylindrical tube-like body, no limbs, and no eyes (though not always).
Worms vary in size from microscopic to over in length for marine polychaete wor ...
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People with the surname
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Liam Mac Cóil
Liam Mac Cóil is an Irish language novelist, a critic, and an essayist.
Career
Born in Dublin in 1952, Liam Mac Cóil lives in the Gaeltacht of Ráth Cairn, County Meath. Before becoming a full-time writer he worked for a time at An Coiste Téa ...
, Irish novelist
Other uses
* Coil (hieroglyph), an Egyptian hieratic hieroglyph
* Basket_weaving#Types, Coiled basketry
* Coiling (pottery), a method of creating pottery
* Coil (video game), ''Coil'' (video game), a video game by Edmund McMillen and Florian Himsl
* Turmoil or burden, as in mortal coil
* Coiling, a method for storing rope or cable
See also
* Helix (disambiguation)
* Loop (disambiguation)
* Spiral (disambiguation)
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{{disambiguation