\ ˈkōl
\
\
plural coals
Definition of coal
(Entry 1 of 2)
1
: a piece of glowing carbon or charred wood : ember
2
: charcoal sense 1
3a
: a black or brownish-black solid combustible substance formed by the partial decomposition of vegetable matter without free access of air and under the influence of moisture and often increased pressure and temperature that is widely used as a natural fuel
b
coals plural, British
: pieces or a quantity of the fuel broken up for burning
haul/rake (someone) over the coals
informal
: to criticize (someone) very severely
The government was then raked over the coals for refusing to send out information about the candidates. — The Economist The Headmaster was angry. So angry, indeed, that he did what in a more lucid interval he would not have done. He hauled a senior over the coals in the hearing of a number of juniors …— P. G. Wodehouse
coal
verb
coaled;
coaling;
coals
Definition of coal (Entry 2 of 2)
: to take in coal
Examples of coal in a Sentence
Noun
When the coals are red, they are very hot. I toasted one last marshmallow over the coals of the campfire.Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
The senator from Massachusetts also proposed a health and pension fund for coal miners. — Tanya A. Christian, Essence, "Harris, Warren Reveal Climate Plans Ahead Of CNN Town Hall On Global Warming," 4 Sep. 2019 The reaction was violent at times; in 1885 white workers in Wyoming massacred 28 Chinese coal miners. — New York Times, "Overlooked No More: Lau Sing Kee, War Hero Jailed for Helping Immigrants," 25 Aug. 2019 His father was a coal miner who died of black lung disease before he was born. — Fox News, "Serial killer who targeted gay men executed in Florida after eating hardy last meal," 23 Aug. 2019 His father was a coal miner who died of black lung before he was born. — CBS News, "Florida executes man who preyed on gay men during 8-month killing spree," 22 Aug. 2019 So, too, are industrial workers such as coal miners whose way of life is threatened. — Matt Simon, WIRED, "Don't Ask How to Pay for Climate Change. Ask Who," 2 Aug. 2019 Cline came from a family of coal miners and later founded the Cline Group, an energy development company. — Doug Criss, CNN, "5 things to know for July 5: Fourth of July, Sudan, Chris Cline, California earthquake," 5 July 2019 This strategy would constitute the lowest-cost pathway for Xcel to meet its carbon-free goals because coal is still the lowest-cost source of electricity in Minnesota. — Isaac Orr, Twin Cities, "Isaac Orr: Minnesota’s high electric bills will continue to rise higher," 1 Aug. 2019 Brian Anderson, a chemical engineer who is a West Virginia native and grandson of a coal miner, understands this frustrating history. — Keith Schneider, ProPublica, "West Virginia Bets Big on Plastics, and on Backing of Trump Administration," 31 July 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'coal.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for coal
coal
noun
English Language Learners Definition of coal
: a black or brownish-black hard substance within the earth that is used as a fuel
: a piece of coal or charcoal especially when burning
US
: a glowing piece of wood from a fire
See the full definition for coal in the English Language Learners Dictionary
coal
noun
\ ˈkōl
\
\
Kids Definition of coal
1
: a piece of glowing or charred wood : ember
2
: a black solid mineral substance that is formed by the partial decay of plant matter under the influence of moisture and often increased pressure and temperature within the earth and is mined for use as a fuel
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