Definition

1. Verb (transitive):

   • To unwind or untwist something that is coiled or wound up; to cause something to become straight or loose from a coiled state.
   • To release from a coiled or spiral form.

2. Verb (intransitive):

   • To become unwound or untwisted; to straighten out from a coiled position.
   • To relax or extend after being tightly wound or curled.

Usage Examples

• Transitive Verb:

  • She carefully uncoiled the long garden hose. (She unwound the hose from its circular bundle.)
  • The sailor uncoiled the rope and prepared to throw it. (The sailor released the rope from its coiled state.)

• Intransitive Verb:

  • The snake uncoiled itself and slithered away. (The snake straightened its coiled body and moved.)
  • After being compressed, the spring slowly uncoiled. (The spring returned to its longer, straighter shape.)

Advanced Usage

• "to uncoil oneself": To stretch out one's body after being in a curled or tense position.

  • The cat uncoiled itself from the armchair and yawned. (The cat stretched out after being curled up.)

• Figurative Use: To relax or release tension, often mental or emotional.

  • He took a deep breath, trying to uncoil the knot of anxiety in his stomach. (He tried to release the feeling of tight anxiety.)

Variants and Related Words

• Coil (verb/noun): The opposite action; to wind into loops or a spiral. (e.g., )
• Unwind (verb): A close synonym, meaning to undo something wound, or to relax. (e.g., )
• Unravel (verb): Often used for threads or complex situations; to disentangle. (e.g., )

Synonyms

• Unwind: To undo something that is wound.
• Straighten: To make straight.
• Unfurl: To spread out from a rolled-up state (often for sails, flags, or leaves).
• Relax: To become less tense (figurative synonym for the intransitive sense).

Antonyms

• Coil: To wind into rings or spirals.
• Wind: To wrap something around itself or another object.
• Twist: To form into a bent, curled, or distorted shape.
• Curl: To form into a curved or spiral shape.

Related Phrasal Verbs/Constructions

(Note: "Uncoil" is not typically used with particles to form standard phrasal verbs. The action is usually expressed by the verb alone or with a reflexive pronoun.) - Uncoil from: To straighten out from a specific position or place. - The vine uncoiled from the trellis. (The vine straightened away from the support structure.)

Verb

1. unwind or untwist