SINCE 1828
lignite
noun
lig·nite
| \ ˈlig-ˌnīt
\
\
Definition of lignite
: a usually brownish black coal intermediate between peat and bituminous coal
especially
: one in which the texture of the original wood is distinct
— called also brown coal
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Other Words from lignite
lignitic
\ lig-ˈni-tik
\
adjective
\
adjective
Examples of lignite in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Meanwhile, Germany is absorbed in a fight between protesters trying to save an ancient forest and the country’s biggest energy company, which wants to dig it up to get at lignite, the dirtiest form of coal. — WSJ, "What Could Go Wrong With Climate Change Investing," 13 Dec. 2018 The lignite mine near the village of Pödelwitz, Germany. — WSJ, "What Could Go Wrong With Climate Change Investing," 13 Dec. 2018 The rule is also agnostic regarding fuel, so states won’t be punished if their coal plants use, say, lignite from Mississippi that burns less efficiently. — The Editorial Board, WSJ, "Not the Climate Apocalypse," 21 Aug. 2018 Kosovo's government plans to build a third lignite coal power plant in Obiliq to replace the aging coal plants. — Valerie Plesch, USA TODAY, "Tiny nation of Kosovo has air pollution so bad that it rivals Beijing," 28 Mar. 2018 Brown coal, a greasy, low-grade fuel also known as lignite, isn’t just controversial because of the greenhouse gases its burning spews into the atmosphere. — Michelle Hackman, WSJ, "Germany Finds Local Coal Filthy and Irresistible," 10 Oct. 2018 While about 22 percent of Germany's electricity still comes from burning lignite — and a further 12 percent from hard coal — some 33 percent is now generated using renewable energy. — Fox News, "How Germany is turning wasteland into vast lakeside resorts," 14 June 2018 While about 22 percent of Germany’s electricity still comes from burning lignite — and a further 12 percent from hard coal — some 33 percent is now generated using renewable energy. — Washington Post, "How Germany is turning wasteland into vast lakeside resorts," 14 June 2018 Some of the land is thought to still contain 200 million tons of lignite coal — some of the dirtiest coal that can be burned for fuel. — Rye Druzin, San Antonio Express-News, "Would you like an aluminum smelter with that ranchland? That’ll be $250 million," 23 May 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'lignite.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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