kəul n. & v. --n. 1 a a
hard black or blackish rock,
mainly carbonized
plant matter, found in
underground seams
and used as a
fuel and in
the manufacture of
gas,
tar, etc. b
Brit. a
piece of
this for burning. 2 a red-hot piece of coal,
wood, etc. in a
fire. --v. 1 intr.
take in a supply of coal. 2 tr. put coal
into (an
engine, fire, etc.). øcoal-bed a
stratum of coal. coal-black completely black. coal-fired
heated or
driven by coal. coal gas
mixed gases extracted
from coal and used for
lighting and
heating. coal-hole Brit. a
compartment or
small cellar for storing coal. coal measures a
series of rocks formed by seams of coal
with intervening
strata. coal
oil US
petroleum or
paraffin. coal-sack 1 a sack for carrying coal. 2 a black
patch in the
Milky Way,
esp. the
one near the
Southern Cross. coal-scuttle a
container for coal to supply a
domestic fire. coal-seam a stratum of coal
suitable for mining. coals to Newcastle
something brought or
sent to a
place where it is
already plentiful. coal tar a
thick black
oily liquid distilled from coal and used as a
source of
benzene. coal-tit (or cole-tit) a small greyish
bird, Parus ater, with a black
head:
also called
COALMOUSE.
haul (or call)
over the coals
reprimand. øøcoaly adj. [OE
col f. Gmc]
