coal

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   to take in coal

   The big ship coaled

2. 2
   noun

   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.

3. 3
   noun

   A piece of coal used for burning (this use is less common in American English)

   Put some coals on the fire.

4. 4
   noun

   A glowing or charred piece of coal, wood, or other solid fuel.

   hot coals

5. 5
   noun

   Content of low quality.

   I'm so sick of seeing this coal online.

6. 6
   verb

   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.

7. 7
   verb

   To supply with coal.

   to coal a steamer

8. 8
   verb

   To be converted to charcoal.

   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.

Etymology

From Middle English cole, from Old English col, from Proto-West Germanic *kol, from Proto-Germanic *kulą, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵwelH- (“to burn, shine”). Cognate with West Frisian koal (“coal”), Cimbrian kholl (“coal”), Dutch kool (“coal; carbon”), German Kohle (“coal”), Luxembourgish Kuel (“coal”), Vilamovian köła (“coal”), Yiddish קויל (koyl, “coal”), Danish kul (“coal”), Faroese, Icelandic, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, Swedish kol (“coal; carbon”), Jamtish kuł (“coal; carbon”). Compare Middle Irish gúal (“coal”), Lithuanian žvi̇̀lti (“to twinkle, glow”), Persian زغال (zoġâl, “l…