anthracite

[an-thruh-sahyt] /ˈæn θrəˌsaɪt/

noun

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

Also called anthracite coal.

Origin

1810-15; probably < French < Latin (Pliny) anthracītis kind of coal. See anthrac-, -ite¹

Related forms

anthracitic

[an-thruh-sit-ik] /ˌæn θrəˈsɪt ɪk/ (Show IPA), anthracitous

[an-thruh-sahy-tuh s] /ˈæn θrəˌsaɪ təs/ (Show IPA), adjective

Examples from the web for anthracite

Rank is the degree of progressive alteration in the transformation from lignite to anthracite.
Then oil and gas replaced anthracite as premier home heating fuels.
anthracite mining uses methods and systems that rely on manual labor with little or no mechanization.
anthracite is used principally for heating homes and in the production of natural gas.

British Dictionary definitions for anthracite

anthracite

/ˈænθrəˌsaɪt/

noun

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 × 107–3.63 × 107 J/kg Also called hard coal

Derived Forms

anthracitic (ˌænθrəˈsɪtɪk) adjective

Word Origin

C19: from Latin anthracītes type of bloodstone, from Greek anthrakitēs coal-like, from anthrax coal, anthrax

Word Origin and History for anthracite

"non-bituminous coal," 1812, earlier (c.1600) a type of ruby-like gem described by Pliny, from Latin anthracites "bloodstone, semi-precious gem," from Greek anthrakites "coal-like," from anthrax (genitive anthrakos) "live coal" (see anthrax). Related: Anthractic (adj.).

anthracite in Science

anthracite

(ān'thrə-sīt')
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. Compare bituminous coal, lignite.