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charcoal Definition

char·coal (c̸här′kōl′)

noun

  1. 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.
  2. a pencil made of this substance
  3. a drawing made with such a pencil
  4. a very dark gray or brown, almost black

Etymology: ME char cole; prob. < charren, to turn (see chare) + cole, coal (hence, lit., wood turned to coal)

transitive verb

  1. to write or draw with charcoal
  2. to charbroil

charcoal Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • activate: Blood was passed through activated charcoal to remove the drugs.
  • burn: Charcoal burnt in a close room makes the air quite foul.
  • comprise: Charcoal comprised a large proportion of the residue and CBM, slag and hammerscale were occasional.
  • contain: High quality vodkas are also filtered through tanks containing charcoal.
  • produce: For more than 120 years the site processed imported English iron ore using locally produced charcoal, finally closing down in 1876.

Adjective modifier

  • activated: Treatment guidelines Activated charcoal ( 50g ) by mouth or nasogastric tube is indicated if the patient presents within 3-4 hours of ingestion.
  • glowing: The fire is at the bottom and consists of a deep mass of glowing charcoal resting on a soft bed of ash or sand.
  • occasional: Within the residue bone ( sometimes burnt ) and CBM were occasional, charcoal and pottery more rare.
  • frequent: The residue contained frequent charcoal, occasional bone and some hammerscale, slag, and rare amounts of pottery.
  • hot: A semi-fermented tea of fine quality, traditionally hand rolled and fired in baskets over pits containing red hot charcoal.

Modifies a noun

  • fleck: The upper was sandy and virtually stone free, with few charcoal flecks.
  • brazier: The building has curious octagonal chimneys; perhaps guests were allowed to have small charcoal braziers in their rooms.
  • burner: The charcoal burner lived on site to make sure the pile didn't go down.
  • grill: Charcoal grills should never be operated in the home.
  • barbecue: Charcoal barbecues must only be used off the boat.
  • dressing: However, it is important to identify whether the cheapest charcoal dressing equals the benefits of the more expensive types.

Noun used with modifier

  • oak: Detailed assessment identified oak charcoal along with traces if charred cereal grains which included oat, barley and wheat along with fused plant ash.
  • burning: Burning charcoal is placed on top of the foil.
  • residue: Within the residue charcoal was common while bone ( including fish ) and hammerscale were occasional.
  • wood: Figure 4. Calibrated radiocarbon chronology obtained from wood charcoal recovered in two different shafts.
charcoal Quotes

According to Pliny, painting was brought to Egypt by Gyges of Lydia; for he says that Gyges once saw his own shadow cast by the light of a fire and instantly drew his own outline on the wall with a piece of charcoal.

—Vasari, Giorgio

Virtue's no more in womankind But the green sickness of the mind. Philosophy, their new delight, A kind of charcoal appetite.

—Cleveland,John