[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/charcoal/)

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# charcoal

noun (charcoal, uncountable; a charcoal = a stick for drawing, charcoals); adjective (charcoal grey)

«charcoal» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. Charcoal is a black, light material made by burning wood slowly with very little air; it burns hot and is used as fuel for barbecues. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/charcoal/#m1)
2. A charcoal is a stick of this material used for drawing, or a drawing made with it. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/charcoal/#m2)
3. Charcoal, or charcoal grey, is a very dark grey colour. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/charcoal/#m3)

### In the lessons

In everyday life charcoal is barbecue fuel; in art lessons it makes soft dark lines that smudge; in science it is an example of carbon and of a chemical change (wood heated without enough oxygen). Safety: hot charcoal stays hot for hours, and burning charcoal indoors gives off carbon monoxide, a deadly gas. Phrases: charcoal briquettes, charcoal drawing, charcoal grey, activated charcoal.

### Examples

- Dad lit the charcoal for the barbecue. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/charcoal/#x1)
- We drew the bowl of fruit with charcoal in art class. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/charcoal/#x2)
- The charcoal smudged when I touched it with my finger. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/charcoal/#x3)
- Never bring a charcoal grill into a tent or a house. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/charcoal/#x4)
- Charcoal is mostly carbon. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/charcoal/#x5)
- She wore a charcoal grey coat. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/charcoal/#x6)
- The coals were glowing red under a layer of white ash. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/charcoal/#x7)
- Activated charcoal is used in some water filters. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/charcoal/#x8)

### Note

Usually uncountable (some charcoal, a bag of charcoal); countable only for drawing sticks or drawings (two charcoals). Charcoal is not the same as coal: coal is dug out of the ground, charcoal is made from wood. Trap: charcoal can look cold and grey but still be very hot inside.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «charcoal» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/charcoal/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«charcoal» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/charcoal.html) on Mova free.