coal car

noun

1. a railroad car designed to carry coal.
2. a car for hauling coal in or from a mine.

Word History and Origins

Origin of coal car¹

An Americanism dating back to 1855–60

Example Sentences

If a railroad sandwiches a group of empty railcars between two sets of heavy coal cars, those lighter cars are more likely to be squeezed and pop off the tracks when going downhill.

From Seattle Times

On average, a man died in the mines every day, often crushed by coal cars or killed by explosions.

From Literature

Atop of coal cars, they arrived at a displaced persons camp.

From Salon

Violence broke out when special deputies attempted to escort a coal car across a picket line, and two strikers were killed.

From The New Yorker

They do not think of such vehicles as 27.4 percent coal cars — that being the percentage of U.S. electricity generated by coal-fired power plants.

From Washington Post