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charcoal
(c̸här′kōl′)
noun
- a porous, amorphous form of carbon produced by destructive distillation of wood or other organic matter and used for decolorizing sugar and food, in filters, as a gas absorbent, fuel, etc.
- a pencil made of this substance
- a drawing made with such a pencil
- a very dark gray or brown, almost black
Origin: ME char cole; prob. < charren, to turn (see chare) + cole, coal (hence, lit., wood turned to coal)
transitive verb
- to write or draw with charcoal
- to charbroil
See charcoal in American Heritage Dictionary 4
noun
- A black, porous, carbonaceous material, 85 to 98 percent carbon, produced by the destructive distillation of wood and used as a fuel, filter, and absorbent.
- a. A drawing pencil or crayon made from this material.b. A drawing executed with such a pencil or crayon.
- A dark grayish brown to black or dark purplish gray.
- To draw, write, or blacken with a black, carbonaceous material.
- To charbroil.
Origin:
Origin: Middle English charcol
Origin: : char (perhaps from Old French charbon, from Latin carbō; see carbon)
Origin: + col, charcoal, coal; see coal
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