Anthracite is a type of very hard coal which burns slowly, producing a lot of heat and very little smoke.
anthracite in British English
(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
anthracite in American English
(ˈænθrəˌsaɪt)
noun
a shiny black, hard, metamorphic coal that contains a low percentage of volatile matter and burns with a smokeless flame
also called hard coal see also bituminous coal
Derived forms
anthracitic (ˌanthraˈcitic) (ˈænθrəˈsɪtɪk)
adjective
Word origin
Gr anthrakitis, kind of coal < anthrax, coal
Examples of 'anthracite' in a sentence
anthracite
That fascinating gamut from dove to anthracite, Petra thought wryly.
Val McDermid THE LAST TEMPTATION (2002)
It was as black as anthracite and dense with stars, like gems flung upwards by some unseen hand.
Isabel Wolff RESCUING ROSE (2002)
Purest anthracite coal in the U. S. Can't trust the government but used to you could trust the Union but no more.