coal
[ kohl ]
/ koʊl /
noun
a black or dark-brown combustible mineral substance consisting of carbonized vegetable matter, used as a fuel.
Compare anthracite, bituminous coal, lignite.
a piece of glowing, charred, or burned wood or other combustible substance.
verb (used with object)
to burn to coal or charcoal.
to provide with coal.
verb (used without object)
to take in coal for fuel.
Idioms for coal
heap coals of fire on someone's head,
to repay evil with good in order to make one's enemy repent.
rake/haul/drag/call/take over the coals,
to reprimand; scold: They were raked over the coals for turning out slipshod work.
Origin of coal
before 900; Middle English
cole, Old English
col; cognate with Dutch
kool, German
Kohle, Old Norse
kol
OTHER WORDS FROM coal
coal·less, adjectiveWords nearby coal
coagulative,
coagulopathy,
coagulum,
coahuila,
coak,
coal,
coal ball,
coal car,
coal cutter,
coal field,
coal gas
British Dictionary definitions for rake over the coals
coal
/ (kəʊl) /
noun
- a combustible compact black or dark-brown carbonaceous rock formed from compaction of layers of partially decomposed vegetation: a fuel and a source of coke, coal gas, and coal tarSee also anthracite, bituminous coal, lignite, peat 1
- (as modifier)coal cellar; coal merchant; coal mine; coal dust
one or more lumps of coal
short for charcoal
coals to Newcastle
something supplied where it is already plentiful
haul someone over the coals
to reprimand someone
verb
to take in, provide with, or turn into coal
Derived forms of coal
coaly, adjectiveWord Origin for coal
Old English
col; related to Old Norse
kol, Old High German
kolo, Old Irish
gūal
Scientific definitions for rake over the coals
coal
[ kōl ]
A dark-brown to black solid substance formed from the compaction and hardening of fossilized plant parts in the presence of water and in the absence of air. Carbonaceous material accounts for more than 50 percent of coal's weight and more than 70 percent of its volume. Coal is widely used as a fuel, and its combustion products are used as raw material for a variety of products including cement, asphalt, wallboard and plastics. See more at anthracite bituminous coal lignite.
Idioms and Phrases with rake over the coals (1 of 2)
rake over the coals
Also, haul over the coals. Reprimand severely, as in When Dad finds out about the damage to the car, he's sure to rake Peter over the coals, or The coach hauled him over the coals for missing practice. These terms allude to the medieval torture of pulling a heretic over red-hot coals. [Early 1800s]
Idioms and Phrases with rake over the coals (2 of 2)
coal
see carry coals to Newcastle; rake over the coals.