uncoils

Uncoils is the third-person singular present tense of the verb uncoil. It means to unwind or straighten from a coiled or wound state, or to release something from a coil, allowing it to extend. Common objects that uncoil include ropes, hoses, wires, and springs, which unwind when tension is released or when they are pulled from a spool.

In everyday language, uncoiling can describe a creature or person moving from a curled position to an extended one, such as a snake uncoiling or a rolled object uncoiling as it is laid out.

In science and engineering contexts, uncoiling describes a transition from a compact, coiled arrangement to a more extended form. For example, DNA can uncoil or unwind at origins of replication to expose bases for copying, and polymers may uncoil when heated or placed in good solvents, increasing their end-to-end distance.

Etymology: The word is formed from the prefix un- meaning undoing and coil. It has been used in English since the 17th century.