charcoal

American  

[chahr-kohl] / ˈtʃɑrˌkoʊl /

noun

1. the carbonaceous material obtained by heating wood or other organic substances in the absence of air.

2. a drawing pencil of charcoal.

3. a drawing made with charcoal.

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verb (used with object)

1. to blacken, write, or draw with charcoal.

2. to cook (food) over charcoal, especially on a grill.

verb (used without object)

1. to cook food over charcoal, especially on a grill.

charcoal British  

/ ˈtʃɑːˌkəʊl /

noun

1. a black amorphous form of carbon made by heating wood or other organic matter in the absence of air: used as a fuel, in smelting metal ores, in explosives, and as an absorbent See activated carbon

2. a stick or pencil of this for drawing

3. a drawing done in charcoal

4. short for charcoal grey

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verb

1. (tr) to write, draw, or blacken with charcoal

charcoal Scientific  

/ chär′kōl′ /

1. A black porous form of carbon produced by heating wood or bone in little or no air. Charcoal is used as a fuel, for drawing, and in air and water filters.

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Other Word Forms

• charcoaly adjective

Etymology

Origin of charcoal

1300–50; Middle English charcole, perhaps cherre char ³ + cole coal, though literal sense of the compound is unclear

Example Sentences

The fridge lies empty, the electric stove is not working, and the only available cooking method is a small charcoal grill her husband built.

From BBC

One man in the small town of Aguacate made headlines after he modified his 1980 Fiat Polski to run on charcoal, the same fuel many people here are now cooking with.

From Los Angeles Times

After India restricted LPG supplies this month, catering companies were forced to prune their offerings for weddings and other parties—or find other fuels, such as charcoal and wood.

From The Wall Street Journal

To better understand past fire activity, researchers examined charcoal preserved in peat deposits from Central and South America, Africa, Southeast Asia, and Australasia.

From Science Daily

“Those who manage to buy cooking gas are getting by somewhat, but most have to use gas or charcoal. There’s no internet connection either.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• sunless
• unlighted
• unlit