coal

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See also: Coal and Coal.

English

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A nugget of anthracite coal.

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Middle English cole, from Old English col, from Proto-West Germanic *kol, from Proto-Germanic *kulą (compare West Frisian koal, Dutch kool, German Kohle, Danish kul), from *ǵwelH- (“to burn, shine”). Compare Old Irish gúal (“coal”), Lithuanian žvìlti (“to twinkle, glow”), Persian زغال (zoğâl, “live coal”), Sanskrit ज्वल् (jval, “to burn, glow”), Tocharian B śoliye (“hearth”), all from the same root.

Pronunciation

Noun

coal (countable and uncountable, plural coals)

  2. (uncountable) A black or brownish black rock formed from prehistoric plant remains, composed largely of carbon and burned as a fuel.
    The coal in this region was prized by ironmasters in centuries past, who mined it in the spots where the drainage methods of the day permitted.
    • 1947 January and February, O. S. Nock, “"The Aberdonian" in Wartime”, in Railway Magazine, pages 3, 5:
      Coal-eaters they may have been, but a more willing or harder working Atlantic engine was never designed.
    2. (countable) A type of coal, such as bituminous, anthracite, or lignite, and grades and varieties thereof, as a fuel commodity ready to buy and burn.
      See also: stockpile
      Put some coal on the fire.
      Order some coal from the coalyard.
  4. (countable) A piece of coal used for burning (this use is less common in American English)
    Put some coals on the fire.
  6. (countable) A glowing or charred piece of coal, wood, or other solid fuel.
    Just as the campfire died down to just coals, with no flames to burn the marshmallows, someone dumped a whole load of wood on, so I gave up and went to bed.
    Coordinate terms: ember, ash, clinker
  8. Charcoal.
  9. (Internet slang, 4chan) Content of low quality.
    I'm so sick of seeing this left-wing coal online.
  10. (military slang, World War I– World War II) Bombs emitting black smoke on impact.[1]
  11. (slang, obsolete) Money.[2] [late 16th c. to early 20th c.]

Hyponyms

Derived terms

Related terms

Descendants

  • → Hausa: kwal

Translations

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked

See also

Verb

coal (third-person singular simple present coals, present participle coaling, simple past and past participle coaled)

  1. (intransitive) To take on a supply of coal (usually of steam ships or locomotives).
    • 1863, Colonial Secretary to Commander Baldwin, USN
      shortly after that she coaled again at Simon's Bay; and that after remaining in the neighbourhood of our ports for a time, she proceeded to Mauritius, where she coaled again, and then returned to this colony.
    • 1887, Harriet W. Daly, Digging, Squatting, and Pioneering Life in the Northern Territory of South Australia, page 131:
      Our next stopping-place was Newcastle, and here we coaled in earnest, for the steamer was flying light, and was loaded up in every available place.
    • 1890, Oscar Wilde, chapter XVI, in The Picture of Dorian Gray:
      The light shook and splintered in the puddles. A red glare came from an outward-bound steamer that was coaling.
    • 1949 November and December, Railway Magazine, page 371 (photo caption):
      N.W.R. four-cylinder 4-6-2 class "XS1," No. 761, coaling at Delhi junction. This class is the most powerful passenger engine in India.
  2. (transitive) To supply with coal.
    to coal a steamer
    • January 1917, National Geographic Magazine, Volume 31 Number 1, One Hundred British Seaports
      Cruisers may be coaled at sea and provided with ammunition openly. The submarine may not
    • 1944 January and February, W. McGowan Gradon, “Forres as a Railway Centre”, in Railway Magazine, page 23:
      After working the 1.30 p.m. through train from Forres to Aberdeen as far as Elgin, she returns tender first with a local passenger train and is then coaled and watered at Forres shed, and eventually works back to Perth on the 10.20 p.m. through freight.
    • 1952 February, J. Pelham Maitland, “Locomotive Working on Sussex Branches Fifty Years Ago”, in Railway Magazine, page 84:
      The cleaner worked, of course, at nights. He had to coal and light up the engine, as well as clean it, for the next day's work, which commenced with a light run to Barnham to "bring in the goods" from that station at about 6.30 a.m.
  3. (intransitive) To be converted to charcoal.
    • 2014, Ken Mudge, Steve Gabriel, Farming the Woods:
      After the initial burn the goal of any good fire should be coaling; that is, creating a bed of solid coals that will sustain the fire.
    • 1957, H.R. Schubert, History of the British Iron and Steel Industry, page 18:
      As a result, particles of wood and twigs insufficiently coaled are frequently found at the bottom of such pits.
  4. (transitive) To burn to charcoal; to char.
    • 1622, Francis Bacon, Natural History:
      Char-coal of roots, coaled into great pieces.
  5. (transitive) To mark or delineate with charcoal.
    • 1551, William Camden, Remains concerning Britain:
      […] marvailing, he coaled out these rithms upon the wall near to the picture

Adjective

coal (comparative coalier, superlative coaliest)

  1. (Internet slang, soyjak.party slang, 4chan) Failing to be humorous or of extremely poor quality.
    These are some really coal threads.
  2. Black like coal; coal-black.
    • 2004, Terence Kingsley-Smith, Terry Kingsley-Smith, Thorp Green: A Tale of the Brontës:
      ... his coal hair / the corners of his warm smile / the blue of his gentle eyes. I wanted to explore him as Sir Francis Drake explored the New World. I wanted to tell my secrets to him as a Roman Catholic does in confession.
    • 2010, Rhett C. Bruno, Isinda: Fallen Dagger, Tate Publishing, →ISBN, page 126:
      His coal hair streaked through the gushing of freezing air and the base of the silk robe fluttered splendidly. The Lord of Blood, adorned with glossy armor and atop a stalwart steed, appeared to have the opulence of a king. White hills […]
    • 2011, C. C. W. Henderson, Blue Heron and Pizzazz, Lulu.com, →ISBN, page 99:
      Just entering the ballroom were a cat and a bird. The cat had black ears nestled in his coal hair and a purple mask over his violet eyes. He had a long ebony tail. 99 9.
    • 2017 September 27, Jordan Raggio, Finance & Felony, Xlibris Corporation, →ISBN:
      Nemesis walked out […] , his coal hair slicked back followed by a few red highlighted fibers, and his eyes large. “Hey, what are you doing up here?” Nemesis asked, leaning his right elbow on the rail. Skullcrusher couldn't meet his eyes, he just stared off at […]
    • 2023 May 31, Jo Wilde, The Angel Series Collection - Books 1-3, Next Chapter:
      He raked his fingers through his coal hair, sighing with frustration. He turned back to me. His fingers gently grazed my cheek." Look at me." At first, I resisted. I couldn't bear looking at his pity. After a moment, I slowly lifted my gaze to him.
    • (Can we date this quote?), AraBella, The CEO's Rebellious Woman, Singapore New Reading Technology Pte Ltd:
      His coal hair was brushed up, revealing his nice skin even at his time of life. “Wait, are his eyes green?” Her fingers flew to her lips as she now recalled who he looks like. He resembled the man that she encountered in the parking lot […]

Verb

coal (third-person singular simple present coals, present participle coaling, simple past and past participle coaled)

  1. (Internet slang, 4chan) To post low-quality content online.
    Those troons are really coaling out.

References

“coal”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.

  1. ^ Lighter, Jonathan (1972) “The Slang of the American Expeditionary Forces in Europe, 1917-1919: An Historical Glossary”, in American Speech‎[1], volume 47, number 1/2, page 34
  2. ^ “cole”, in Green’s Dictionary of Slang, Jonathon Green, 2016–present

Anagrams

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