steam coal

American

noun

coal with relatively high sulfur content, suited for generating steam but not for coking.

steam coal British

noun

coal suitable for use in producing steam, as in a steam-boiler

"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 steam coal

First recorded in 1840–50

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.

It is different from steam coal, which is burned to generate electricity.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 17, 2025

On the seventh day of unpaid work, on a piece of land in Ton Pentre, Mr Davies' men found a massive seam of the best-quality steam coal.

From BBC • Feb. 25, 2023

The market for steam coal, which is used in power plants, is clearly in decline.

From Washington Times • Apr. 20, 2021

The Abhijeet Group of India has a new $7 billion contract for steam coal from Kentucky and West Virginia.

From New York Times • Nov. 12, 2012

"Stuff of that kind is like steam coal to a boiler," spoke Mr. Scanlon.

From Ashton-Kirk, Criminologist by McIntyre, John T.

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023