COAL

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does coal mean? 

• COAL (noun)
  The noun COAL has 2 senses:

1. fossil fuel consisting of carbonized vegetable matter deposited in the Carboniferous period

2. a hot fragment of wood or coal that is left from a fire and is glowing or smoldering

  Familiarity information: COAL used as a noun is rare.

• COAL (verb)
  The verb COAL has 3 senses:

1. burn to charcoal

2. supply with coal

3. take in coal

  Familiarity information: COAL used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• COAL (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Fossil fuel consisting of carbonized vegetable matter deposited in the Carboniferous period

Classified under:

Nouns denoting substances

Hypernyms ("coal" is a kind of...):

fossil fuel (fuel consisting of the remains of organisms preserved in rocks in the earth's crust with high carbon and hydrogen content)

vegetable matter (matter produced by plants or growing in the manner of a plant)

Meronyms (substance of "coal"):

atomic number 6; C; carbon (an abundant nonmetallic tetravalent element occurring in three allotropic forms: amorphous carbon and graphite and diamond; occurs in all organic compounds)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "coal"):

anthracite; anthracite coal; hard coal (a hard natural coal that burns slowly and gives intense heat)

bituminous coal; soft coal (rich in tarry hydrocarbons; burns readily with a smoky yellow flame)

brown coal; lignite; wood coal (intermediate between peat and bituminous coal)

steam coal (coal suitable for use under steam boilers)

Derivation:

coal (take in coal)

coal (supply with coal)

coal (burn to charcoal)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A hot fragment of wood or coal that is left from a fire and is glowing or smoldering

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural objects (not man-made)

Synonyms:

coal; ember

Hypernyms ("coal" is a kind of...):

fragment (a piece broken off or cut off of something else)

Derivation:

coal (burn to charcoal)

• COAL (verb)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Burn to charcoal

Classified under:

Verbs of raining, snowing, thawing, thundering

Synonyms:

char; coal

Context example:

Without a drenching rain, the forest fire will char everything

Hypernyms (to "coal" is one way to...):

burn; combust (cause to burn or combust)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

coal (a hot fragment of wood or coal that is left from a fire and is glowing or smoldering)

coal (fossil fuel consisting of carbonized vegetable matter deposited in the Carboniferous period)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Supply with coal

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Hypernyms (to "coal" is one way to...):

furnish; provide; render; supply (give something useful or necessary to)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something

Derivation:

coal (fossil fuel consisting of carbonized vegetable matter deposited in the Carboniferous period)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Take in coal

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Context example:

The big ship coaled

Hypernyms (to "coal" is one way to...):

gather in; take in (fold up)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s something

Derivation:

coal (fossil fuel consisting of carbonized vegetable matter deposited in the Carboniferous period)

 Context examples 

Benz[a,h]acridine is primarily found in petroleum refinery incinerator emissions, coal combustion emissions, cigarette smoke and coal tar pitch.

(Dibenz[a,h]acridine, NCI Thesaurus)

Dibenz[a,j]acridine is primarily found in gasoline exhaust, petroleum refinery incinerator emissions, coal combustion emissions, cigarette smoke and coal tar pitch.

(Dibenz[a,j]acridine, NCI Thesaurus)

Coke Oven Emissions are produced during the conversion of coal into coke by heating the coal in the absence of oxygen.

(Coke Oven Emission, NCI Thesaurus)

Over the past two years, ever since Saturn arrived in your sign, dear Capricorn, you walked over hot coals and broken glass. It has not been easy.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

I am sure I told her to bring some coals half an hour ago.

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)

The coal at his feet dragged him down. He was gone.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

Dibenzo[a,i]pyrene is primarily found in gasoline exhaust, tobacco smoke and coal tar.

(Dibenzo[a,i]pyrene, NCI Thesaurus)

Dibenzo[a,h]pyrene is primarily found in engine exhaust, cigarette tar and coal tar pitch.

(Dibenzo[a,h]pyrene, NCI Thesaurus)

Dibenzo[a,e]pyrene is primarily found in coal gasification products, cigarette smoke and fossil fuels.

(Dibenzo (a,l) pyrene, NCI Thesaurus)

And beyond that fire, in the circling darkness, Buck could see many gleaming coals, two by two, always two by two, which he knew to be the eyes of great beasts of prey.

(The Call of the Wild, by Jack London)