coal
A black or brownish black rock formed from prehistoric plant remains, composed largely of carbon and burned as a fuel.
Example
“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.”
Other meanings
A type of coal, such as bituminous, anthracite, or lignite, and grades and varieties thereof, as a fuel commodity ready to buy and burn.
A piece of coal used for burning this use is less common in American English
“Put some coals on the fire.”
Word history
From Old English "col".
Where this comes from
This definition is adapted from “coal” on Wiktionary, by its contributors, published under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page is published under the same licence.