Coal Kəʊl I Put Fire Mining Noun Lump

• i put more coal on the fire.
• a lump of coal
• coal mining
• she sat by the coal fire in the kitchen.

coal

1. a hard black mineral that is found below the ground and burnt to produce heat
• I put more coal on the fire.
• a lump of coal
• coal mining
• She sat by the coal fire in the kitchen.
• Plans were being drawn up for the privatization of the coal industry.
• These men had spent their lives breathing coal dust.

Extra Examples

• There are substantial reserves of methane gas trapped in coal seams in the area.
• opencast coal mining
• Put some more coal on the fire.
2. a piece of coal, especially one that is burning
• A hot coal fell out of the fire and burnt the carpet.
• Red-hot coals glowed in the fireplace.
3. to take goods to a place where there are already plenty of them; to supply something where it is not needed
4. to criticize somebody severely because they have done something wrong
• I was hauled over the coals by my boss for being late.

Word Origin

• Old English col (in the senses ‘glowing ember’ and ‘charred remnant’), of Germanic origin; related to Dutch kool and German Kohle. The sense ‘combustible mineral used as fuel’ dates from Middle English.