anthracite

American  

[an-thruh-sahyt] / ˈæn θrəˌsaɪt /

noun

1. a mineral coal containing little of the volatile hydrocarbons and burning almost without flame; hard coal.

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anthracite British  

/ ˈænθrəˌsaɪt, ˌænθrəˈsɪtɪk /

noun

1. Also called: hard coal.  a hard jet-black coal that burns slowly with a nonluminous flame giving out intense heat. Fixed carbon content: 86–98 per cent; calorific value: 3.14 × 10 ⁷ –3.63 × 10 ⁷ J/kg

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anthracite Scientific  

/ ăn′thrə-sīt′ /

1. A hard, shiny coal that has a high carbon content. It is valued as a fuel because it burns with a clean flame and without smoke or odor, but it is much less abundant than bituminous coal.

2. Compare bituminous coal lignite

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• anthracitous
  adjective
• anthracitic
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of anthracite

1810–15; probably < French < Latin (Pliny) anthracītis kind of coal. See anthrac-, -ite ¹

Compare meaning

How does anthracite compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• anthracite vs. bituminous coal

Example Sentences

In center stage is her beloved Lacanche stove: Ina appears to have opted for the Sully range in Anthracite with brass trim, gas burners, one electric oven, and one gas oven.

From Salon • Mar. 5, 2023

It helped sponsor the local Anthracite Little League — the company name splashed across jerseys and posted on an outfield banner at the town’s baseball diamond.

From Washington Post • Feb. 3, 2022

Managing director Rhidian Davies said: "Anthracite is a highly desirable mineral used predominately for its manufacturing characteristics as opposed to its thermal properties".

From BBC • Nov. 4, 2021

"You don't know anything," said composer Julia Wolfe, who won the coveted award last year for her choral piece "Anthracite Fields," an unconventional exploration into the history of coal mining in rural Pennsylvania.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 2, 2016

Anthracite then, as now, was a great specialty of the Lackawanna.

From The Story of the Rome, Watertown, and Ogdensburg RailRoad by Hungerford, Edward