lignite

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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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lignitic

play \lig-ˈni-tik\ adjective

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Recent Examples of lignite from the Web

But Berlin's crusading attitude on climate change is undermined by the fact that the country still uses lignite, or brown coal, to produce around a quarter of its electricity.

— david meyer, Fortune, "Online Lenders Upbeat About Turnaround, But Worries Linger," 9 Aug. 2017
Expectations for the Kemper plant, which is located next to a mine for lignite, the dirtiest form of coal, always were ambitious; coal gasification never had been used to produce commercial electricity, according to climate experts.

— michael hiltzik, latimes.com, "A Mississippi power plant shutdown shows that 'clean coal' always was a myth," 5 July 2017
That, Southern and Mississippi Power said, would reduce the greenhouse emissions of burning lignite by up to 65 percent.

— megan geuss, Ars Technica, "$7.5 billion Kemper power plant suspends coal gasification," 29 June 2017
Mississippi Power has been trying to achieve sustained operation of two gasifiers that convert soft lignite coal to a synthetic gas.

— jeff amy, The Seattle Times, "Mississippi utility will stop efforts to complete coal plant," 28 June 2017
THESSALONIKI, Greece (AP) — Dozens of villagers in northwestern Greece have evacuated their homes after a lignite mine nearby collapsed.

— costas kantouris, The Seattle Times, "Greek village evacuated after mine collapses," 11 June 2017
Kemper was designed as a prototype carbon capture, or clean coal plant that would burn gasified lignite coal and capture up to 65 percent of its carbon emissions.

— dennis pillion, AL.com, "Even without Paris Accord, Alabama utilities reluctant to invest in coal," 3 June 2017
Take, for instance, the RK 5000, a large bucket-chain excavator working in a lignite mine in the Czech Republic.

— avery thompson, Popular Mechanics, "How a 5,000 Ton Excavator "Walks" Away When Its Work Is Done," 17 May 2017
In practice, that exception was the cover for coal continue to flow across the border in huge quantities, with imports of non-lignite coal up 14.5 percent last year to 22.5 million metric tons (24.8 million U.S. tons), Reuters reported.

— simon denyer, Orange County Register, "China suspends North Korea’s coal imports, striking at regime’s financial lifeline," 18 Feb. 2017

These 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.

Origin and Etymology of lignite

French, from Latin lignum

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First Known Use: circa 1808

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lignite

Definition of lignite

lignitic

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lignitic

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