culm1
[kuhlm]
- coal dust; slack.
- anthracite, especially of inferior grade.
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Origin of culm1
1300–50; Middle English colme, probably equivalent to col coal + -m suffix of uncertain meaning (compare -m in Old English fæthm fathom, wæstm growth)
culm2
[kuhlm]
- a stem or stalk, especially the jointed and usually hollow stem of grasses.
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- to grow or develop into a culm.
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Origin of culm2
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Related Words
slack, smut, ember, char, stoke, carbon, fuel, cinder, spark, charcoal, culm, scoria, ash, anthraciteExamples from the Web for culm
Historical Examples
On such a day came Pike to the bank of Culm, with a loudly beating heart.
Crocker's HoleR. D. Blackmore
The men—the lime-burners—were not long gone, and the culm was still burning.
My New CurateP.A. Sheehan
As for having him at Culm Rock, it was too preposterous a thought to be entertained for a moment.
Culm RockGlance Gaylord
Uncle Richard was getting to be more of a mystery to him than Culm Rock had been.
Culm RockGlance Gaylord
You'll have a fine run down to Culm, and you must send me a line back by the skipper.
Culm RockGlance Gaylord
culm1
- coal-mine waste
- inferior anthracite
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Word Origin
C14: probably related to coal
culm2
- the hollow jointed stem of a grass or sedge
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Word Origin
C17: from Latin culmus stalk; see haulm
Culm
Culm Measures
- a formation consisting mainly of shales and sandstone deposited during the Carboniferous period in parts of Europe
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Word Origin
C19: from culm 1
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
culm
[kŭlm]
- The stem of a grass or similar plant.
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The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.