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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

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Alternate definitions:

finance coal definition - finance

idioms coal idiom

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.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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.

Adjective modifier

  • bituminous: Chimneys using bituminous coal should be swept at least once a year.

Modifies a noun

  • mining: Go to TOP Coal mines The coal mining area is in the center of the basin.

Noun used with modifier

  • opencast: Comprehensive statistics on opencast coal have, in the past, been collected and published by the Planning Officers ' Society.
coal usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

coal quotes

Thisisland ismademainlyofcoaland surrounded by fish. Only an organizing genius could produce a shortage of coal and a shortage of fish at the same time.

-Bevan, Aneurin

Then said I,Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for mine eyes have seen the King, the L of hosts. Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: And he laid it upon my 102 mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged. Also I heard thevoiceoftheLord,saying,Whomshall Isend, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.

-Bible (Old Testament)

She taught me what her uncle once taught her: How easily the biggest coal block split If you got the grain and hammer angled right. The sound of that relaxed alluring blow, Its co-opted and obliterated echo, Taught me to hit, taught me to loosen, Taught me between the hammer and the block To face the music. Teach me now to listen, To strike it rich behind the linear black.

-Heaney, SeamusJustin

coal quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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"coal." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 5 July 2009
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coal. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

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