lignite

American  

[lig-nahyt] / ˈlɪg naɪt /

noun

1. a soft coal, usually dark brown, often having a distinct woodlike texture, and intermediate in density and carbon content between peat and bituminous coal.

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lignite British  

/ lɪɡˈnɪtɪk, ˈlɪɡnaɪt /

noun

1. Also called: brown coal.  a brown carbonaceous sedimentary rock with woody texture that consists of accumulated layers of partially decomposed vegetation: used as a fuel. Fixed carbon content: 46–60 per cent; calorific value: 1.28 × 10 ⁷ to 1.93 × 10 ⁷ J/kg (5500 to 8300 Btu/lb)

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lignite Scientific  

/ lĭg′nīt′ /

1. A soft, brownish-black form of coal having more carbon than peat but less carbon than bituminous coal. Lignite is easy to mine but does not burn as well as other forms of coal. It is a greater polluter than bituminous coal because it has a higher sulphur content.

2. Compare anthracite bituminous coal

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Other Word Forms

• lignitic adjective

Etymology

Origin of lignite

First recorded in 1800–10; lign- + -ite ¹

Example Sentences

But decades of lignite extraction has also affected the health of people in the region.

From Barron's • Dec. 27, 2025

Greece has some experience with planned relocation, such as of mountainous rural communities facing landslides in the 1960s and 70s, and more recently of communities near lignite plants.

From Reuters • Nov. 16, 2023

Locals have held a four-year vigil in Akbelen forest to hold off logging that paves the way for a lignite mine near the village of Ikizkoy in Mugla province.

From Washington Times • Jul. 31, 2023

North Dakota has an abundance of lignite, a type of coal primarily used to generate electricity.

From New York Times • Apr. 9, 2023

The chief mineral products are iron, lignite, lead, copper, zinc and cement.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 12, Slice 6 "Groups, Theory of" to "Gwyniad" by Various