anthracite

American  

[an-thruh-sahyt] / ˈæn θrəˌsaɪt /

noun

1. a mineral coal containing little of the volatile hydrocarbons and burning almost without flame; hard coal.

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anthracite British  

/ ˈænθrəˌsaɪt, ˌænθrəˈsɪtɪk /

noun

1. Also called: hard coal.  a hard jet-black coal that burns slowly with a nonluminous flame giving out intense heat. Fixed carbon content: 86–98 per cent; calorific value: 3.14 × 10 ⁷ –3.63 × 10 ⁷ J/kg

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anthracite Scientific  

/ ăn′thrə-sīt′ /

1. A hard, shiny coal that has a high carbon content. It is valued as a fuel because it burns with a clean flame and without smoke or odor, but it is much less abundant than bituminous coal.

2. Compare bituminous coal lignite

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Other Word Forms

• anthracitic adjective
• anthracitous adjective

Etymology

Origin of anthracite

1810–15; probably < French < Latin (Pliny) anthracītis kind of coal. See anthrac-, -ite ¹

Compare meaning

How does anthracite compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• anthracite vs. bituminous coal

Example Sentences

Heavy equipment excavate anthracite coal from a strip mine in New Castle, Pennsylvania, U.S.,

From Reuters • May 25, 2022

I have a very good friend here in New Hampshire who heats with anthracite coal.

From Washington Post • Apr. 5, 2022

Aberpergwm mine is the only producer of high-grade anthracite in Western Europe and it supplies the nearby Tata steel plant in Port Talbot.

From BBC • Nov. 4, 2021

On April 13, an anthracite gray Volkswagen van pulled into Les Poulières.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 4, 2021

The great irony of anthracite is that, tough as it is to light, once you get it lit it’s nearly impossible to put out.

From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson