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

The colliery is the only producer of high-grade anthracite in western Europe and supplies the nearby Tata Steel plant in Port Talbot.

From BBC • Jul. 11, 2022

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

From Washington Post • Apr. 5, 2022

Abramovic, known for her work with crystals, chose anthracite from Ukrainian mines and rock quartz crystals from Brazil.

From Reuters • Oct. 6, 2021

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

From Seattle Times • Oct. 4, 2021

Little by little the town names along the way began to take on a frank industrial tone—Port Carbon, Minersville, Slatedale—and I realized I was entering the strange, half-forgotten world of Pennsylvania’s anthracite region.

From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson