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

The lignite miners are demanding the payment of outstanding wages and redundancy pay from their employer, Doruk Mining.

From Barron's • Apr. 21, 2026

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

Accidental fires in mines of coal or lignite sometimes lead to consequences not only destructive to large quantities of valuable material, but may, directly or indirectly, produce results important in geography.

From Man and Nature or, Physical Geography as Modified by Human Action by Marsh, George P.