coaly

The miner's face was coaly after a long day in the pit.

Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Containing coal; resembling coal: "coaly" describes something that contains coal, is covered with coal, or has the appearance, texture, or color of coal, typically being black or dark.
   • Characteristic of coal: Pertaining to the properties of coal, such as being sooty, dusty, or associated with coal mining.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • The miners returned home with coaly faces and hands. (Their skin was blackened by coal dust.)
  • The soil in this region is coaly, making it unsuitable for farming. (The ground contains a high amount of coal.)
  • She stared into the coaly darkness of the abandoned mine. (The darkness was as black as coal.)

Advanced Usage

• "coaly smell": the odor typical of coal or coal dust.

  • The old furnace gave off a coaly smell that filled the basement. (A scent reminiscent of burning or raw coal.)

• "coaly deposits": geological layers or accumulations of coal.

  • Geologists found coaly deposits in the sedimentary rock. (Layers containing coal or carbonaceous material.)

Variants and Related Words

• Coal (n): a black or dark-brown combustible mineral used as fuel.

  • They burned coal to heat the house. (A solid fossil fuel.)

• Coal-black (adj): as black as coal; very dark.

  • Her hair was coal-black, shining in the sunlight. (Intensely black, like coal.)

Synonyms

• Sooty: covered with or resembling soot (a black powder from burning coal).
• Blackened: made black by exposure to coal, smoke, or fire.
• Carbonaceous: containing or consisting of carbon (a key component of coal).

Related Idioms

• As black as coal: extremely dark or black.
  • The night was as black as coal, with no stars visible. (Completely dark, like coal.)