char·coal
ˈchär-ˌkōl 
1
: a dark or black porous carbon prepared from vegetable or animal substances (as from wood by charring in a kiln from which air is excluded)
2
a
: a piece or pencil of fine charcoal used in drawing
b
: a charcoal drawing
3
: a dark gray
Examples of charcoal in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Tim Carman, Washington Post, 19 Sep. 2023
The effect was to attune the eye to subtle contrasts—the way a gown juxtaposed shiny pewter satin with matte taffeta in a similar hue, or a pair of sequinned ombré trousers changed from charcoal at the hip to faintly ashen at the hem.
—Rachel Syme, The New Yorker, 18 Sep. 2023
The heavy cotton is sourced in Australia and comes in a handful of serene shades that will match any bathroom decor (including hues like cream, gray, and charcoal).
—Kaitlyn McInnis, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Sep. 2023
Give your backyard a major upgrade with this charcoal and wood-fired pizza oven.
—Sarah Grossbart, wsj.com, 11 Sep. 2023
Rubin said teams are only allowed to cook their food on the street the morning of the competition with natural heat sources like charcoal and wood, barring electric and gas devices from the competition.
—Richard Requena, Chicago Tribune, 11 Sep. 2023
The ultra-absorbent towels are made from 40 percent bamboo and 60 percent cotton and come in three different colors including charcoal, light grey, and white.
—Lauren Wellbank, Woman's Day, 8 Sep. 2023
With a black or charcoal suit on the other hand, these kicks are actually upping the class.
—Brad Lanphear, Men's Health, 8 Sep. 2023
And pit beef puritans needn’t worry: Chaps will be keeping its two charcoal grills, well-seasoned through the years with the stand’s secret spice rub.
—Amanda Yeager, Baltimore Sun, 8 Sep. 2023
Frederick N. Rasmussen, Baltimore Sun, 4 Apr. 2023
This all adds up to a winning formula and the food certainly doesn’t disappoint, with innovative dishes such as the cherry kebab made from spiced kebab skewers, perfectly charcoaled and then covered with sauce made from sour cherries sourced from Armenia.
—Joanne Shurvell, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2023
The floral comforter set is available in three different colorways: taupe, green multi, and charcoal.
—Andrea Wurzburger, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Jan. 2023
The brand is most famous for their scrubs, which range from apricots to charcoal to bamboo.
—Dallas News, 30 Nov. 2022
My attempt to get the fire going with newspaper, wood, and charcoal ends in a pitiful plume of smoke.
—Noo Saro-Wiwa, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Aug. 2022
While parts of the building were severely damaged from the flames - including sections of the walls and floorboards that were reduced to charcoal and ash - the metal staircase remained intact.
—CBS News, 7 Dec. 2022
Fresh snow reflects back 80% of the light that falls on it, green grass about 25% and charcoal a mere 4%.
—Helen Czerski, WSJ, 1 Dec. 2022
Year-round outdoor entertaining is simple with the BioLite FirePit+, which converts from wood to charcoal and from fire pit to BBQ grill in a flash.
—Tiffany Hopkins, Bon Appétit, 14 Nov. 2022
See More
Noun
Like the picanha, the beef short ribs are seasoned only with coarse sea salt, but unlike the sirloin cap, the bones are first cooked for hours in a commissary smoker, which Gonzalez built himself, before they’re finished over charcoal on the truck.
—Tim Carman, Washington Post, 19 Sep. 2023
The effect was to attune the eye to subtle contrasts—the way a gown juxtaposed shiny pewter satin with matte taffeta in a similar hue, or a pair of sequinned ombré trousers changed from charcoal at the hip to faintly ashen at the hem.
—Rachel Syme, The New Yorker, 18 Sep. 2023
The heavy cotton is sourced in Australia and comes in a handful of serene shades that will match any bathroom decor (including hues like cream, gray, and charcoal).
—Kaitlyn McInnis, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Sep. 2023
Give your backyard a major upgrade with this charcoal and wood-fired pizza oven.
—Sarah Grossbart, wsj.com, 11 Sep. 2023
Rubin said teams are only allowed to cook their food on the street the morning of the competition with natural heat sources like charcoal and wood, barring electric and gas devices from the competition.
—Richard Requena, Chicago Tribune, 11 Sep. 2023
The ultra-absorbent towels are made from 40 percent bamboo and 60 percent cotton and come in three different colors including charcoal, light grey, and white.
—Lauren Wellbank, Woman's Day, 8 Sep. 2023
With a black or charcoal suit on the other hand, these kicks are actually upping the class.
—Brad Lanphear, Men's Health, 8 Sep. 2023
And pit beef puritans needn’t worry: Chaps will be keeping its two charcoal grills, well-seasoned through the years with the stand’s secret spice rub.
—Amanda Yeager, Baltimore Sun, 8 Sep. 2023
Verb
It can be prepared a number of ways — baked, charcoaled or planked — but shad roe, which is probably the most desirable way to dine on the fish, is poached or broiled — or there’s the novel way Jeff and Janet Ayres make it.
—Frederick N. Rasmussen, Baltimore Sun, 4 Apr. 2023
This all adds up to a winning formula and the food certainly doesn’t disappoint, with innovative dishes such as the cherry kebab made from spiced kebab skewers, perfectly charcoaled and then covered with sauce made from sour cherries sourced from Armenia.
—Joanne Shurvell, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2023
The floral comforter set is available in three different colorways: taupe, green multi, and charcoal.
—Andrea Wurzburger, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Jan. 2023
The brand is most famous for their scrubs, which range from apricots to charcoal to bamboo.
—Dallas News, 30 Nov. 2022
My attempt to get the fire going with newspaper, wood, and charcoal ends in a pitiful plume of smoke.
—Noo Saro-Wiwa, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Aug. 2022
While parts of the building were severely damaged from the flames - including sections of the walls and floorboards that were reduced to charcoal and ash - the metal staircase remained intact.
—CBS News, 7 Dec. 2022
Fresh snow reflects back 80% of the light that falls on it, green grass about 25% and charcoal a mere 4%.
—Helen Czerski, WSJ, 1 Dec. 2022
Year-round outdoor entertaining is simple with the BioLite FirePit+, which converts from wood to charcoal and from fire pit to BBQ grill in a flash.
—Tiffany Hopkins, Bon Appétit, 14 Nov. 2022
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'charcoal.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Dictionary Entries Near charcoal
Cite this Entry
“Charcoal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/charcoal. Accessed 2 Oct. 2023.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
charcoal
noun
char·coal
ˈchär-ˌkōl
1
: a dark or black absorbent carbon made by heating animal or vegetable material in the absence of air
2
a
: a piece or pencil of charcoal used in drawing
b
: a charcoal drawing
Medical Definition
charcoal
noun
char·coal
ˈchär-ˌkōl
: a dark or black porous carbon prepared from vegetable or animal substances (as from wood by charring in a kiln from which air is excluded) see activated charcoal
More from Merriam-Webster on charcoal
Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for charcoal
Nglish: Translation of charcoal for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of charcoal for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about charcoal
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share