Anthracite

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Anthracite \An"thra*cite\, n. [L. anthracites a kind of
     bloodstone; fr. Gr. ? like coals, fr. 'a`nqrax, ?, coal or
     charcoal. Cf. {Anthrax}.]
     A hard, compact variety of mineral coal, of high luster,
     differing from bituminous coal in containing little or no
     bitumen, in consequence of which it burns with a nearly non


     luminous flame. The purer specimens consist almost wholly of
     carbon. Also called glance coal and blind coal.
     [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Coal \Coal\ (k[=o]l), n. [AS. col; akin to D. kool, OHG. chol,
     cholo, G. kohle, Icel. kol, pl., Sw. kol, Dan. kul; cf. Skr.
     jval to burn. Cf. {Kiln}, {Collier}.]
     1. A thoroughly charred, and extinguished or still ignited,
        fragment from wood or other combustible substance;
        charcoal.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. (Min.) A black, or brownish black, solid, combustible
        substance, dug from beds or veins in the earth to be used
        for fuel, and consisting, like charcoal, mainly of carbon,
        but more compact, and often affording, when heated, a
        large amount of volatile matter.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     Note: This word is often used adjectively, or as the first
           part of self-explaining compounds; as, coal-black; coal
           formation; coal scuttle; coal ship. etc.
           [1913 Webster]
  
     Note: In England the plural coals is used, for the broken
           mineral coal burned in grates, etc.; as, to put coals
           on the fire. In the United States the singular in a
           collective sense is the customary usage; as, a hod of
           coal.
           [1913 Webster]
  
     {Age of coal plants}. See {Age of Acrogens}, under {Acrogen}.
        
  
     {Anthracite} or {Glance coal}. See {Anthracite}.
  
     {Bituminous coal}. See under {Bituminous}.
  
     {Blind coal}. See under {Blind}.
  
     {Brown coal} or {Brown Lignite}. See {Lignite}.
  
     {Caking coal}, a bituminous coal, which softens and becomes
        pasty or semi-viscid when heated. On increasing the heat,
        the volatile products are driven off, and a coherent,
        grayish black, cellular mass of coke is left.
  
     {Cannel coal}, a very compact bituminous coal, of fine
        texture and dull luster. See {Cannel coal}.
  
     {Coal bed} (Geol.), a layer or stratum of mineral coal.
  
     {Coal breaker}, a structure including machines and machinery
        adapted for crushing, cleansing, and assorting coal.
  
     {Coal field} (Geol.), a region in which deposits of coal
        occur. Such regions have often a basinlike structure, and
        are hence called {coal basins}. See {Basin}.
  
     {Coal gas}, a variety of carbureted hydrogen, procured from
        bituminous coal, used in lighting streets, houses, etc.,
        and for cooking and heating.
  
     {Coal heaver}, a man employed in carrying coal, and esp. in
        putting it in, and discharging it from, ships.
  
     {Coal measures}. (Geol.)
        (a) Strata of coal with the attendant rocks.
        (b) A subdivision of the carboniferous formation, between
            the millstone grit below and the Permian formation
            above, and including nearly all the workable coal beds
            of the world.
  
     {Coal oil}, a general name for mineral oils; petroleum.
  
     {Coal plant} (Geol.), one of the remains or impressions of
        plants found in the strata of the coal formation.
  
     {Coal tar}. See in the Vocabulary.
  
     {To haul over the coals}, to call to account; to scold or
        censure. [Colloq.]
  
     {Wood coal}. See {Lignite}.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  anthracite
       n : a hard natural coal that burns slowly and gives intense heat
           [syn: {anthracite coal}, {hard coal}]