coalification

American  

[koh-luh-fi-key-shuhn] / ˌkoʊ lə fɪˈkeɪ ʃən /

noun

Geology.

1. the conversion of plant material into coal by natural processes, as by diagenesis and, in some instances, metamorphism.

---

Etymology

Origin of coalification

First recorded in 1910–15; coal + -i- + -fication

Example Sentences

As the buried sediment compacted under pressure, water was squeezed from the peat, natural heat from the earth’s core baked it, and coal formed, a process called coalification.

From Slate • Nov. 13, 2012