coal oil

coal oil

n.1. A flammable hydrocarbon oil that is distilled from bituminous coal and is used as a fuel for lamps.2. See kerosene.

coal oil

n 1. (Elements & Compounds) US and Canadian petroleum or a refined product from petroleum, esp kerosene 2. (Elements & Compounds) a crude oil produced, together with coal gas, during the distillation of bituminous coal

coal′ oil`

n. 1. petroleum obtained by the destructive distillation of bituminous coal. 2. kerosene. [1855–60, Amer.]

Coal oil

Coal oil (kerosene) is a light, nearly colorless liquid that is a major constituent of petroleum. It began replacing whale oil in the mid-1800s as a fuel for lamps and was used for that purpose until supplanted by electric lights. While electricity rapidly replaced gas and coal oil lighting in the cities, it was much slower in reaching the widely separated rural homes. The REA, originally put in place in 1935, then modi fied and extended in 1936, speeded the extension of power lines to rural areas, but it was well into the 1940s before the majority of the rural community had electricity and could switch from coal oil to electricity.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

coal oil - a flammable hydrocarbon oil used as fuel in lamps and heaterskerosene, kerosine, lamp oilfuel - a substance that can be consumed to produce energy; "more fuel is needed during the winter months"; "they developed alternative fuels for aircraft"hydrocarbon - an organic compound containing only carbon and hydrogenparaffin oil, paraffin - (British usage) kerosine