charcoal

noun

char·coal | \ ˈchär-ˌkōl

Definition of charcoal

(Entry 1 of 2)

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)

2a : a piece or pencil of fine charcoal used in drawing

b : a charcoal drawing

3 : a dark gray

charcoal

verb

charcoaled; charcoaling; charcoals

Definition of charcoal (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

: charbroil

Examples of charcoal in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Fireplace charcoal dissolved in warm milk was a prebinge preventative in Victorian London. — Brian P. Kelly, WSJ, "‘Hungover’ Review: There’s Got to Be a Morning After," 9 Nov. 2018 The charcoal in the lake sediments is most likely the residue of those fires. — Kiona N. Smith, Ars Technica, "Supposedly pristine South American forest had been pre-Columbian farmland," 17 July 2018 Supposedly, the charcoal kicks off a process called adsorption that's said to help remove stains from teeth naturally. — Courtney Campbell, USA TODAY, "Here are the 5 best Amazon deals right now," 11 July 2018 Add the charcoal to the upper chamber and light the paper. — Adam Ried, BostonGlobe.com, "Everything you need to know about using a charcoal grill," 29 June 2018 Carbon is the fuel in a fire — much like the charcoal in your grill, or the carbon-rich hardwood in your fireplace. — Angela Fritz, Washington Post, "How the harrowing Thomas Fire planted the seed for California’s deadly mudslides," 10 Jan. 2018 Across the gallery, artist Andy Jordan is completing his live charcoal drawing; a piece he's been working on throughout the night. — Shauna Stuart, AL.com, "Vibes and Virtues: Five hours in artist Carey Fountain's America," 21 July 2017 Higher prices for Kingsford charcoal and Burt’s Bees products went into effect in December and February, respectively. — Aisha Al-muslim, WSJ, "Prepare to Pay More for Diapers, Clorox and Cat Litter," 11 Feb. 2019 As Schulte complained about charcoal and wasting taxpayer money, many Oakland residents already remain frustrated with police resources taking a large chunk of our city budget. — Michelle Dione Snider, The Root, "When Barbecuing and Living While Black Becomes a Crime," 28 May 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Bruce Gilbert Miami Herald File All that remained in the rubble was a charcoaled safe that contained some of the company’s accounts receivable and payable records. — Howard Cohen, miamiherald, "The family businessman who helped grow Norton Tire into a national symbol," 4 Aug. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'charcoal.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

11 Mar 2019

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Time Traveler for charcoal

The first known use of charcoal was in the 14th century

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More Definitions for charcoal

charcoal

noun

English Language Learners Definition of charcoal

: a hard black material that is made by burning wood with a small amount of air

: a dark gray color

See the full definition for charcoal in the English Language Learners Dictionary

charcoal

noun

char·coal | \ ˈchär-ˌkōl

Kids Definition of charcoal

: a black or dark absorbent fuel made by heating wood in the absence of air

charcoal

noun

char·coal | \ ˈchär-ˌkōl

Medical Definition of charcoal

: 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