coal oil

[ kohl-oil ]
See synonyms for coal oil on Thesaurus.com
nounOlder U.S. Use and Canadian.
  1. petroleum obtained by the destructive distillation of bituminous coal.

Origin of coal oil

1
An Americanism dating back to 1855–60

Words Nearby coal oil

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use coal oil in a sentence

  • Okanagan Bob went about with a coal-oil can, and Jimmy drove the red oxen that hauled loads of brush.

    Northwest! | Harold Bindloss
  • Sulphate of lime in water, causing scale, may be counteracted and scale removed by using coal oil and sal soda.

    Farm Engines and How to Run Them | James H. Stephenson
  • He declared with rare vehemence that Bryant deserved boiling in hot coal oil, then skinning alive.

    The Lone Ranger Rides | Fran Striker
  • Ed Higgins followed with "ceriseen," and 'Rast Little explosively had it "coal-oil."

    The Daughter of Anderson Crow | George Barr McCutcheon
  • Two or three coal-oil stoves were used to heat the cave and for cooking purposes.

    The Daughter of Anderson Crow | George Barr McCutcheon

British Dictionary definitions for coal oil

coal oil

noun
  1. US and Canadian petroleum or a refined product from petroleum, esp kerosene

  2. a crude oil produced, together with coal gas, during the distillation of bituminous coal

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012