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coal gas
noun
: gas made from coal: such as
a
: the mixture of gases thrown off by burning coal
b
: gas made by carbonizing bituminous coal in retorts and used for heating and lighting
Examples of coal gas in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Similar events elsewhere, whether the introduction and control of coal gas in the United Kingdom or constructing bridge barriers in Australia and New Zealand, show that reducing access to common lethal means of suicide also reduces suicide deaths.
—Natalie Eilbert, Journal Sentinel, 28 May 2024
So cars were modified in France to run on coal gas.
—Larry Printz, Ars Technica, 4 Oct. 2023
The pollutants come from the site of the former Alexandria Town Gas manufacturing plant, which produced coal gas from 1851 to 1947 at North Lee and Oronoco streets in Old Town, according to a 2021 report prepared for the city by Cardno, an environmental consulting firm.
—Teo Armus, Washington Post, 1 Nov. 2023
Photos: Energy Institute In April 1943, Ammonia Casale (now part of the Swiss fertilizer maker Casale) introduced an internal combustion engine that could run on a blend of ammonia and coal gas.
—IEEE Spectrum, 23 Feb. 2021
For instance, before England and Wales shifted utilities from domestic coal gas to natural gas in the 1960s and ’70s — an economic decision that by chance eliminated deadly carbon monoxide — inhaling oven fumes was the method of choice for 41 percent of all suicides in 1963.
—Russ Juskalian, Discover Magazine, 13 Aug. 2019
Diesel shortages during World War II prompted Belgium to run its public buses on a combination of ammonia and coal gas.
—IEEE Spectrum, 23 Feb. 2021
Up until the 1960s, the ovens and stoves in many British homes used coal gas, which was rich in dangerous carbon monoxide and was implicated in many deaths, accidental or intentional.
—Dave Philipps, New York Times, 15 Oct. 2020
The ship had been extensively refitted, an operation that included swapping out its old engine for a new one that ran not on coal gas, but on gasoline.
—John Kelly, Washington Post, 14 Sep. 2019
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Word History
First Known Use
1806, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near coal gas
Cite this Entry
“Coal gas.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coal%20gas. Accessed 24 Dec. 2024.
Kids Definition
coal gas
noun
: gas from coal
especially
: gas made from bituminous coal and used for heating and lighting
More from Merriam-Webster on coal gas
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about coal gas
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