coal

American  

[kohl] / koʊl /

noun

1. a black or dark-brown combustible mineral substance consisting of carbonized vegetable matter, used as a fuel.

2. a piece of glowing, charred, or burned wood or other combustible substance.

3. charcoal.

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verb (used with object)

1. to burn to coal or charcoal.

2. to provide with coal.

verb (used without object)

1. to take in coal for fuel.

idioms

1. heap coals of fire on someone's head, to repay evil with good in order to make one's enemy repent.

2. rake / haul / drag / call / take over the coals, to reprimand; scold.

   They were raked over the coals for turning out slipshod work.

coal British  

/ kəʊl /

noun

1. 1. a combustible compact black or dark-brown carbonaceous rock formed from compaction of layers of partially decomposed vegetation: a fuel and a source of coke, coal gas, and coal tar See also anthracite bituminous coal lignite peat 1

   2. ( as modifier )

      coal cellar

      coal merchant

      coal mine

      coal dust

2. one or more lumps of coal

3. short for charcoal

4. something supplied where it is already plentiful

5. to reprimand someone

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verb

1. to take in, provide with, or turn into coal

coal Scientific  

/ kōl /

1. A dark-brown to black solid substance formed from the compaction and hardening of fossilized plant parts in the presence of water and in the absence of air. Carbonaceous material accounts for more than 50 percent of coal's weight and more than 70 percent of its volume. Coal is widely used as a fuel, and its combustion products are used as raw material for a variety of products including cement, asphalt, wallboard and plastics.

2. See more at anthracite bituminous coal lignite

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coal More Idioms  

1. see carry coals to Newcastle; rake over the coals.

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Other Word Forms

• coalless adjective
• coaly adjective

Etymology

Origin of coal

before 900; Middle English cole, Old English col; cognate with Dutch kool, German Kohle, Old Norse kol

Example Sentences

These are pieces of carbon and other chemicals, like a miniature lump of coal, that come from the incomplete burning of fuel.

From BBC

An unsigned Wall Street Journal column now attributed to Dow weighed customs data, coal prices and rail earnings against stock pickers’ penchant for euphoria.

From The Wall Street Journal

In a desk note published Friday, he also posited that how Glencore approaches their coal and iron ore business strategically is key to stock performance in the next year.

From MarketWatch

Glencore could also look to close smaller deals within its operations, Carulli says, with a possible IPO of its Australian coal assets and partnership deals for some of its individual assets.

From The Wall Street Journal

“The gas, coal and nuclear fleet was all significantly more reliable this time around,” wrote Wood Mackenzie analyst Stephen Ryan.

From Barron's