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coal Definition

coal (kōl)

noun

  1. a kind of dark brown to black, combustible, sedimentary rock resulting from the partial decomposition of vegetable matter away from air and under varying degrees of increased temperature and pressure over a period of millions of years: used as a fuel and in the production of coke, coal gas, water gas, and many coal-tar compounds
  2. a piece (or collectively, pieces) of this rock
  3. a piece of glowing or charred wood, coal, or similar substance; ember
  4. charcoal

Etymology: ME & OE col, charcoal, live coal, akin to Ger kohle, ON kol < IE base *g(e)u-lo-, live coal > Ir gual

transitive verb

  1. to reduce (a substance) to charcoal by burning
  2. to provide with coal

intransitive verb

to take in a supply of coal

coal Idioms

haul over the coals

or rake over the coals or drag over the coals or call over the coals

to criticize sharply; censure; scold

heap coals of fire on someone's head

to cause someone to feel remorse by returning good for evil: Prov. 25:22

coal Synonyms

coal

n.

  1. Mineral fuel

    mineral coal, coke, fossil fuel; see fuel.

    Types of coal include: hard coal, soft coal, charcoal, brown coal, pit coal, lignite, tasmanite, subbituminous coal, cannel, anthracite, bituminous, coke, carbocoal, turf, peat, semianthracite, semibituminous coal.

  2. Grades of coal include: broken, lump, chunk, egg, stove, nut, pea, rice, buckwheat, briquette, slack, duff, flaxseed, mustard seed.

  3. An ember

    spark, live coal, brand, clinker; see embers.

haul<strong> or </strong>rake<strong> or </strong>drag over the coals</em>*

reprimand, criticize, castigate; see censure.

coal Finance Definition

A dark brown to black combustible sedimentary rock that is used as a fuel source. It accounts for the generation of about 55 percent of the total electricity output in the United States. The United States has 30 percent of the world’s bituminous and anthracite coal reserves, more than any other country except China, which consumes nearly all of its own production. Coal futures are traded on the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX). Coal futures are a relatively new addition to the NYMEX, with trading beginning only in the late 1990s. Its trading symbol is QL.

coal Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • burn: No holidays abroad, no carpets on the floor, we burned coal on the fire, no locks on the door.
  • shovel: He was paraded along the seafront on a steam powered trolley attended by engineers who would be black from shoveling coal.
  • coke: Latterly the colliery provided the Ravenscraig Steelworks with coking coal.
  • pulverize: There are many proven technologies available today for reducing air pollutant emissions from pulverized coal fired power plant.

Adjective modifier

  • bituminous: Chimneys using bituminous coal should be swept at least once a year.
  • smokeless: If dry seasoned wood or smokeless coal is used of a sufficient quantity, the stove will stay in for many hours.
  • imported: Some of the countries discussed are significant exporters while others rely on imported hard coal for their energy supplies.
  • deep-mined: Public ownership is the only way to preserve both jobs and the ability of Britain to exploit deep-mined coal.
  • hot: It has a drawer beneath the seat where hot coals were placed to keep the guards warm on chilly nights.

Modifies a noun

  • mining: Go to TOP Coal mines The coal mining area is in the center of the basin.
  • mine: Go to TOP Coal mines The coal mining area is in the center of the basin.
  • miner: Parents James Shaw, coal miner dec & Rachel Ferguson.
  • seam: Unlike coal seams which tend to run horizontally, metal deposits are vertical.
  • tar: Many of these stains were coal tar dyes developed in a dazzling array for the textile industry.
  • cellar: Water came from a standpipe outside and each had a washhouse and coal cellar.

Noun used with modifier

  • opencast: Comprehensive statistics on opencast coal have, in the past, been collected and published by the Planning Officers ' Society.
  • burning: Buildings In cold climates, a lot of CO 2 is emitted by burning coal, oil or gas to keep us warm.
  • cwt: Official evacuees 1. Jan: 6th 5 cwt coal received.
  • steam: On 1 April 2006 we received an almost 15 percent increase in the price we receive for domestic steam coal.
  • sulfur: The effect of lower sulfur coal blends on the performance of electrostatic precipitators and fabric filters is also covered.