Twist vs. Coil — What's the Difference?
By Maham Liaqat & Urooj Arif — Updated on May 6, 2024
"Twist" involves rotation or winding of an object around itself or another, used metaphorically for complexity; "coil" is specifically a series of loops, often orderly and confined to objects like wires or ropes.
Difference Between Twist and Coil
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
"Twist" implies a single or multiple rotations of an object or part of it around another or its own axis, emphasizing movement and action. Whereas "coil" refers to creating loops, typically in a series, that lay flat or stack in an organized manner, highlighting structure.
A "twist" can affect the original shape by bending or distorting it, often used to describe unexpected changes in stories or plans. On the other hand, a "coil" retains a more consistent shape and is used for storing things like ropes or wires neatly.
In literature or storytelling, a "twist" is a plot element that introduces a sudden change in direction or revelation, adding depth or surprise. Conversely, "coil" is rarely used metaphorically but focuses on the physical arrangement of objects.
"Twist" can be used as both a verb and a noun, suggesting both the action of twisting and the resulting state. In contrast, "coil" is also both a verb and a noun, but typically refers to the final form or the process of arranging into loops.
In practical applications, "twist" describes methods or actions in various contexts, from twisting a towel to wring out water to twisting a knob. Coil, however, is often associated with specific uses, like coiling a hose or the coils in an electric heater.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
Rotation around an axis; a sudden change.
Series of loops stacked or laid together.
Use in Language
Metaphorical for complexity or surprise.
Primarily physical and literal.
Forms
Can be a verb or noun.
Can be a verb or noun.
Examples in Objects
Twisted metal, twist in a story.
Coil of rope, heating coil.
Application
Broad, from physical objects to narratives.
More specific, often for storage or flow.
Compare with Definitions
Twist
To turn something around at least once.
She gave the bottle cap a quick twist to open it.
Coil
A series of loops.
He laid the coil of rope on the dock.
Twist
A sudden change in a storyline or situation.
The movie's twist left everyone in shock.
Coil
To wind into a series of loops.
She coiled the garden hose neatly after use.
Twist
To wring something by turning.
He twisted the cloth to squeeze out the water.
Coil
A length of something wound or arranged in a spiral.
The snake coiled itself in the corner.
Twist
A bend or curl in something that is normally straight.
The path has a sharp twist near the end.
Coil
An electrical device consisting of a series of windings.
The transformer has a large electrical coil.
Twist
To dance by twisting one's body.
They loved to twist to old rock-n-roll tunes.
Coil
To curl or gather something into loops.
The vine coiled around the fence tightly.
Twist
To wind together (two or more threads, for example) so as to produce a single strand.
Coil
A series of connected spirals or concentric rings formed by gathering or winding
A coil of rope.
Long coils of hair.
Twist
To form in this manner
Twist a length of rope from strands of hemp.
Coil
An individual spiral or ring within such a series.
Twist
To wind or coil (vines or rope, for example) about something.
Coil
A spiral pipe or series of spiral pipes, as in a radiator.
Twist
To interlock or interlace
Twist flowers in one's hair.
Coil
A wound spiral of two or more turns of insulated wire, used to introduce inductance into a circuit.
Twist
To make (one's way) in a tortuous manner
Twisted my way through the briar patch.
Coil
Any of various devices of which such a spiral is the major component.
Twist
To cause to rotate or turn in another direction
Twisted their heads around at the sound of the doorbell.
Coil
A roll of postage stamps prepared for use in a vending machine.
Twist
To impart a spiral or coiling shape to, as by turning the ends in opposite directions
Twisting wire into a loop.
Coil
A disturbance; a fuss.
Twist
To turn or open by turning
Twisted off the bottle cap.
Coil
To wind in concentric rings or spirals.
Twist
To pull, break, or snap by turning
Twist off a dead branch.
Coil
To wind into a shape resembling a coil.
Twist
To wrench or sprain
Twist one's wrist.
Coil
To form concentric rings or spirals.
Twist
To alter the normal aspect of; contort
Twist one's mouth into a wry smile.
Coil
To move in a spiral course
Black smoke coiling up into the sky.
Twist
To alter or distort the intended meaning of
The cross-examiner twisted the words of the witness.
Coil
Something wound in the form of a helix or spiral.
The sinuous coils of a snake
Twist
To alter or distort the mental, moral, or emotional character of
The trauma twisted the child's outlook.
Coil
Any intrauterine device (Abbreviation: IUD)—the first IUDs were coil-shaped.
Twist
To be or become twisted.
Coil
(electronics) A coil of electrically conductive wire through which electricity can flow.
Twist
To move or progress in a winding course; meander
The river twisted toward the sea.
Coil
A cylinder of clay.
Twist
To squirm; writhe
Twist with pain.
Coil
(figurative) Entanglement; perplexity.
Twist
To rotate or turn in another direction
The owl's head twisted around toward me.
Coil
A noise, tumult, bustle, or turmoil.
Twist
To dance the twist.
Coil
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.
Twist
A length of yarn, cord, or thread, especially a strong silk thread used mainly to bind the edges of buttonholes.
Coil
To wind into loops (roughly) around a common center.
The sailor coiled the free end of the hawser on the pier.
Twist
Tobacco leaves processed into the form of a rope or roll.
Coil
To wind cylindrically or spirally.
To coil a rope when not in use
The snake coiled itself before springing.
Twist
A loaf of bread or other bakery product made from pieces of dough twisted together.
Coil
To build a pot (etc) with clay coils.
Twist
A sliver of citrus peel twisted over or dropped into a beverage for flavoring.
Coil
To encircle and hold with, or as if with, coils.
Twist
A spin, twirl, or rotation.
Coil
To wind cylindrically or spirally; as, to coil a rope when not in use; the snake coiled itself before springing.
Twist
A complete rotation of the body around its vertical axis, as in diving and gymnastics.
Coil
To encircle and hold with, or as with, coils.
Twist
A spinning motion given to a ball when thrown or struck in a specific way.
Coil
To wind itself cylindrically or spirally; to form a coil; to wind; - often with about or around.
You can see his flery serpents . . . Coiting, playing in the water.
Twist
The state of being twisted into a spiral; torsional stress or strain.
Coil
A ring, series of rings, or spiral, into which a rope, or other like thing, is wound.
The wild grapevines that twisted their coils from trec to tree.
Twist
The degree or angle of torsional stress.
Coil
Fig.: Entanglement; toil; mesh; perplexity.
Twist
A contortion or distortion of the body, especially the face.
Coil
A series of connected pipes in rows or layers, as in a steam heating apparatus.
Twist
A distortion of meaning
Gave my words a misleading twist.
Coil
A noise, tumult, bustle, or confusion.
Twist
A sprain or wrench, as of an ankle.
Coil
A structure consisting of something wound in a continuous series of loops;
A coil of rope
Twist
A change in direction; a turn
A sharp twist in the path.
Coil
A round shape formed by a series of concentric circles
Twist
An unexpected change in a process or a departure from a pattern, often producing a distortion or perversion
A twist of fate.
A story with a quirky twist.
Coil
A transformer that supplies high voltage to spark plugs in a gasoline engine
Twist
A personal inclination or eccentricity; a penchant or flaw
An odd twist to his character.
Coil
A contraceptive device placed inside a woman's womb
Twist
A dance characterized by vigorous gyrations of the hips and arms.
Coil
Tubing that is wound in a spiral
Twist
A twisting force.
Coil
Reactor consisting of a spiral of insulated wire that introduces inductance into a circuit
Twist
Anything twisted, or the act of twisting.
Coil
To wind or move in a spiral course;
The muscles and nerves of his fine drawn body were coiling for action
Black smoke coiling up into the sky
The young people gyrated on the dance floor
Twist
The form given in twisting.
Coil
Make without a potter's wheel;
This famous potter hand-builds all of her vessels
Twist
The degree of stress or strain when twisted.
Coil
Wind around something in coils or loops
Twist
A type of thread made from two filaments twisted together.
Twist
A sliver of lemon peel added to a cocktail, etc.
Twist
A sudden bend (or short series of bends) in a road, path, etc.
Twist
A distortion to the meaning of a word or passage.
Twist
An unexpected turn in a story, tale, etc.
Twist
(preceded by definite article) A type of dance characterised by rotating one’s hips. See Twist (dance) on Wikipedia for more details.
Twist
A rotation of the body when diving.
Twist
A sprain, especially to the ankle.
Twist
(obsolete) A twig.
Twist
(slang) A girl, a woman.
Twist
A roll or baton of baked dough or pastry in a twisted shape.
Twist
A small roll of tobacco.
Twist
A material for gun barrels, consisting of iron and steel twisted and welded together.
Damascus twist
Twist
The spiral course of the rifling of a gun barrel or a cannon.
Twist
A beverage made of brandy and gin.
Twist
A strong individual tendency or bent; inclination.
A twist toward fanaticism
Twist
An appetite for food.
Twist
To turn the ends of something, usually thread, rope etc., in opposite directions, often using force.
Twist
To join together by twining one part around another.
Twist
To contort; to writhe; to complicate; to crook spirally; to convolve.
Twist
To wreathe; to wind; to encircle; to unite by intertexture of parts.
Twist
(reflexive) To wind into; to insinuate.
Avarice twists itself into all human concerns.
Twist
To turn a knob etc.
Twist
To distort or change the truth or meaning of words when repeating.
Twist
To form a twist (in any of the above noun meanings).
Twist
To injure (a body part) by bending it in the wrong direction.
Twist
To wind; to follow a bendy or wavy course; to have many bends.
Twist
(transitive) To cause to rotate.
Twist
(intransitive) To dance the twist (a type of dance characterised by twisting one's hips).
Twist
(transitive) To coax.
Twist
(card games) In the game of blackjack (pontoon or twenty-one), to be dealt another card.
Twist
To contort; to writhe; to complicate; to crook spirally; to convolve.
Twist it into a serpentine form.
Twist
Hence, to turn from the true form or meaning; to pervert; as, to twist a passage cited from an author.
Twist
To distort, as a solid body, by turning one part relatively to another about an axis passing through both; to subject to torsion; as, to twist a shaft.
Twist
To wreathe; to wind; to encircle; to unite by intertexture of parts.
There are pillars of smoke twisted about with wreaths of flame.
Twist
To wind into; to insinuate; - used reflexively; as, avarice twists itself into all human concerns.
Twist
To unite by winding one thread, strand, or other flexible substance, round another; to form by convolution, or winding separate things round each other; as, to twist yarn or thread.
Twist
Hence, to form as if by winding one part around another; to wreathe; to make up.
Was it not to this endThat thou began'st to twist so fine a story?
Twist
To form into a thread from many fine filaments; as, to twist wool or cotton.
Twist
To be contorted; to writhe; to be distorted by torsion; to be united by winding round each other; to be or become twisted; as, some strands will twist more easily than others.
Twist
To follow a helical or spiral course; to be in the form of a helix.
Twist
The act of twisting; a contortion; a flexure; a convolution; a bending.
Not the least turn or twist in the fibers of any one animal which does not render them more proper for that particular animal's way of life than any other cast or texture.
Twist
The form given in twisting.
[He] shrunk at first sight of it; he found fault with the length, the thickness, and the twist.
Twist
That which is formed by twisting, convoluting, or uniting parts.
Twist
A cord, thread, or anything flexible, formed by winding strands or separate things round each other.
Twist
A twig.
Twist
A kind of closely twisted, strong sewing silk, used by tailors, saddlers, and the like.
Twist
Act of imparting a turning or twisting motion, as to a pitched ball; also, the motion thus imparted; as, the twist of a billiard ball.
Twist
A kind of cotton yarn, of several varieties.
Twist
A strong individual tendency, or bent; a marked inclination; a bias; - often implying a peculiar or unusual tendency; as, a twist toward fanaticism.
Twist
A roll of twisted dough, baked.
Twist
A little twisted roll of tobacco.
Twist
One of the threads of a warp, - usually more tightly twisted than the filling.
Twist
A material for gun barrels, consisting of iron and steel twisted and welded together; as, Damascus twist.
Twist
The spiral course of the rifling of a gun barrel or a cannon.
Twist
A beverage made of brandy and gin.
Twist
An unforeseen development;
Events suddenly took an awkward turn
Twist
An interpretation of a text or action;
They put an unsympathetic construction on his conduct
Twist
Any clever (deceptive) maneuver;
He would stoop to any device to win a point
Twist
The act of rotating rapidly;
He gave the crank a spin
It broke off after much twisting
Twist
A sharp strain on muscles or ligaments;
The wrench to his knee occurred as he fell
He was sidelined with a hamstring pull
Twist
A sharp bend in a line produced when a line having a loop is pulled tight
Twist
A miniature whirlpool or whirlwind resulting when the current of a fluid doubles back on itself
Twist
A jerky pulling movement
Twist
A hairdo formed by braiding or twisting the hair
Twist
Social dancing in which couples vigorously twist their hips and arms in time to the music; was popular in the 1960s;
They liked to dance the twist
Twist
The act of winding or twisting;
He put the key in the old clock and gave it a good wind
Twist
Turning or twisting around (in place);
With a quick twist of his head he surveyed the room
Twist
To move in a twisting or contorted motion, (especially when struggling);
The prisoner writhed in discomfort
The child tried to wriggle free from his aunt's embrace
Twist
Cause (a plastic object) to assume a crooked or angular form;
Bend the rod
Twist the dough into a braid
The strong man could turn an iron bar
Twist
Turn in the opposite direction;
Twist a wire
Twist
Form into a spiral shape;
The cord is all twisted
Twist
Form into twists;
Twist the bacon around the sausage
Twist
Do the twist
Twist
Twist or pull violently or suddenly, especially so as to remove (something) from that to which it is attached or from where it originates;
Wrench a window off its hinges
Wrench oneself free from somebody's grip
A deep sigh was wrenched from his chest
Twist
Practice sophistry; change the meaning of or be vague about in order to mislead or deceive
Twist
Twist suddenly so as to sprain;
Wrench one's ankle
The wrestler twisted his shoulder
The hikers sprained their ankles when they fell
I turned my ankle and couldn't walk for several days
Common Curiosities
What is the primary difference in the use of "twist" vs "coil"?
"Twist" generally implies an action or a change, often used metaphorically, while "coil" focuses on the formation of loops, usually physically.
How do "twist" and "coil" function in language?
"Twist" is versatile, used in both physical and metaphorical contexts, whereas "coil" is more literal and specific to physical shapes.
What are common applications of "twist"?
Twisting can be applied in cooking, mechanics, dance, and storytelling.
Can "twist" and "coil" be used interchangeably?
They are not typically interchangeable due to "twist" implying an action and "coil" describing a shape or arrangement.
What are common applications of "coil"?
Coiling is mainly used for storing ropes, cables, and in devices like electrical coils or springs.
Is there a structural difference when something is twisted versus when it is coiled?
Yes, twisting can distort, while coiling is aimed at orderly storage or use.
How do "twist" and "coil" relate to movement?
"Twist" involves rotational movement, and "coil" involves circular or spiral arrangement without implying movement.
Can both "twist" and "coil" refer to unexpected events?
"Twist" can refer to unexpected narrative turns, but "coil" does not typically imply surprise.
What types of objects are commonly associated with "twist"?
Anything from ropes and clothes to story plots and dance moves.
What types of objects are commonly associated with "coil"?
Objects like hoses, ropes, electrical wires, and springs are typically coiled for organization or functionality.
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Written by
Maham Liaqat
Co-written by
Urooj ArifUrooj is a skilled content writer at Ask Difference, known for her exceptional ability to simplify complex topics into engaging and informative content. With a passion for research and a flair for clear, concise writing, she consistently delivers articles that resonate with our diverse audience.
