coil spring
- noun
- Specialized
- Each coil spring in the mattress is designed to provide support and absorb shock during sleep.
- rear coil spring
- coil spring suspension
- steel coil spring
Examples
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We take it for granted every day that not absolutely everyone can afford or can comfortably sleep on a traditional coil spring bed.
Blog text (20) -
For a lot of folks, back aches and bed pains are prevalent occurrences typically attributed to a classic coil spring.
Blog text (20) -
Here it just has a little coiled spring with a needle.
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Today all toys have batteries, which waste energy; the motion could have been produced by a simple coil spring.
Blog text (32) -
And of course the energy of the bumps is absorbed by the coil spring which is in here.
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So there's a giant coil spring in here that we are winding up very much like a clock.
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An easily turned adjustment collar compresses a stainless-steel coil spring to achieve the desired preload.
Academic text (1995) -
Each of the coil springs seen here is made by lining the inside of a straight metal tube with rubbery damping material and then filling the lined tube with a line of metal slugs strung on a rubber core.
Academic text (1999) -
The front Macpherson strut suspension features inversely wound coil springs, which stand the wheel more perpendicular to the steering axis, thereby reducing wheel tug.
Blog text (12) -
The mechanic replaced the broken coil spring to restore the car's suspension system.
Synonyms
A piece of metal that returns to its shape after being pressed or pulled
A long set of metal strips under a vehicle that absorbs shocks
A metal coil that absorbs shock and stores energy
A part that uses compressed air to absorb bumps and vibrations in vehicles and machines
How Elastic
- Specialized
- Specialized
Surface Forms
Morphology
Both constituent nouns directly describe the same object — 'coil' (a wound/helical form) and 'spring' (an elastic, often coiled, mechanical part) — so the compound simply names a spring that is in coil form. This is a fully compositional, productive noun+noun compound (and mirrored in many languages), so a B1 learner who knows both words will readily infer the meaning.
Etymology
Coil spring comes from its shape: a metal wire wrapped into a tight coil that works as a spring. When the coil is squeezed or pulled it holds energy and pushes back, so the name shows why it is used 'to absorb shock' or 'to keep things in place'.