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

Explanation

Charcoal is the black substance left over when wood is heated in the absence of oxygen. You can cook with charcoal by burning it in your backyard grill. Charcoal is used in many ways, but its most important use has probably been by blacksmiths and other metal workers, who historically used extremely hot charcoal fires to heat metal. Charcoal is also used to make explosive blasting powders and common water filters. One theory of the word's origin combines the obsolete verb charren, "to turn," and cole, "coal" — in other words, "to turn to coal."

Example Sentences

A particularly intriguing finding involves a charcoal drawing discovered on the fireplace mantle of an old building in Vinci, once known as the Bracci house.

From Science Daily • May 4, 2026

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 • Mar. 24, 2026

His angular head topped with a green felt crown; his toothy mouth a sinister, grimacing gash; his eyes blackened with what looks like charcoal.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 9, 2026

Before the fighting, forests supplied roughly 70 percent of Sudan's energy consumption, primarily through charcoal and firewood, according to data from the African Forest Forum.

From Barron's • Feb. 19, 2026

He’s standing in the doorway of room 315, holding a sketchbook in one hand and a charcoal pencil in the other, a white hospital bracelet like mine wrapped around his wrist.

From "Five Feet Apart" by Rachael Lippincott

Related Words

• sunless
• unlighted
• unlit