ˈcoal-gas
The mixture of gases produced by the destructive distillation of coal, consisting mainly of carburetted hydrogen; purified of some of its ingredients, it was for long the common gas used for lighting and heating purposes.
| 1809 B. Cooke in Nicholson Jrnl. Nat. Phil. XXII. 145 (title) On the advantages of Coal Gas Lights. 1833 N. Arnott Physics II. 147 Oil gas, which contains about twice as much carbon as the coal gas, gives also about twice as much light. |