coal gas

American  

noun

1. a gas used for illuminating and heating, produced by distilling bituminous coal and consisting chiefly of hydrogen, methane, and carbon monoxide.

2. the gas formed by burning coal.

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coal gas British  

noun

1. a mixture of gases produced by the distillation of bituminous coal and used for heating and lighting: consists mainly of hydrogen, methane, and carbon monoxide

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Etymology

Origin of coal gas

First recorded in 1800–10

Example Sentences

In the beginning, “natural” distinguished it from other gases, like coal gas, and signaled something that came straight out of the ground.

From Los Angeles Times

The round building with a cupola atop its conical roof was built in 1888 when coal gas was a major source of light and heat.

From Washington Times

In Britain, indoor gas poisoning was the most common method of suicide until the country changed the gas supply from high-carbon-monoxide coal gas to more harmless natural gas in the 1960s.

From Salon

The round building with a cupola atop its conical roof was built in Concord in 1888 when coal gas was a major source of light and heat.

From Washington Times

Like coal gas, paracetamol packaging, and pesticides, guns can be removed from the equation.

From BBC