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steam coal

American  

noun

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


steam coal British  

noun

  1. 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

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

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

From Washington Times

Deutsche Bank said that since 2016 it no longer finances “directly or indirectly the construction of new coal-fired power plants or new mining projects for the production of steam coal”.

From Reuters

They approved a measure to reduce the tax on West Virginia steam coal.

From Washington Times