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soft coal

American  
soft coal British  

noun

  1. another name for 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

Etymology

Origin of soft coal

First recorded in 1780–90

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

For lignite, the low-quality soft coal that is the most polluting, Germany has even brought the phase out forward to 2030.

From BBC Jun. 21, 2026

The Kemper County power plant was supposed to be a world leader in turning soft coal into a gas and burning it to generate power, while removing climate-warming carbon dioxide and other pollutants.

From Seattle Times Oct. 31, 2023

His most popular product is a type of soft coal from Shenmu County, in the northwestern province of Shaanxi.

From Slate Aug. 6, 2015

However, since soft coal is mainly used in energy generation, “It’s definitely affecting the bituminous region more than the anthracite region,” Stefanko said.

From Washington Times Jun. 6, 2015

“That’s the Number Four Pocahontas Seam, the finest and purest soft coal in the world. These lines I’ve drawn represent the tunnels we’ve driven through it since the mine has been operational.”

From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam

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