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coal
[ kohl ]
/ koŹl /
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noun
a black or dark-brown combustible mineral substance consisting of carbonized vegetable matter, used as a fuel.Compare anthracite, bituminous coal, lignite.
a piece of glowing, charred, or burned wood or other combustible substance.
verb (used with object)
to burn to coal or charcoal.
to provide with coal.
verb (used without object)
to take in coal for fuel.
QUIZ
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Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.
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In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known asā¦
Idioms about coal
heap coals of fire on someone's head, to repay evil with good in order to make one's enemy repent.
rake / haul / drag / call / take over the coals, to reprimand; scold: They were raked over the coals for turning out slipshod work.
Origin of coal
before 900; Middle English cole,Old English col; cognate with Dutch kool,German Kohle,Old Norse kol
OTHER WORDS FROM coal
coalless, adjectiveWords nearby coal
coagulation, coagulation factor, coagulum, Coahuila, coak, coal, coala, coal ball, coalbin, coal car, coal cutter
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Ā© Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use coal in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for coal
coal
/ (kÉŹl) /
noun
- 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 tarSee also anthracite, bituminous coal, lignite, peat 1
- (as modifier)coal cellar; coal merchant; coal mine; coal dust
one or more lumps of coal
short for charcoal
coals to Newcastle something supplied where it is already plentiful
haul someone over the coals to reprimand someone
verb
to take in, provide with, or turn into coal
Derived forms of coal
coaly, adjectiveWord Origin for coal
Old English col; related to Old Norse kol, Old High German kolo, Old Irish gūal
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
Ā© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 Ā© HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for coal
coal
[ kÅl ]
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. See more at anthracite bituminous coal lignite.
The American HeritageĀ® Science Dictionary
Copyright Ā© 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Other Idioms and Phrases with coal
coal
see carry coals to Newcastle; rake over the coals.
The American HeritageĀ® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright Ā© 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.