small coal
Also small-coal.
[small a. 4.]
1. Charcoal. Obs. exc. Hist.
| 1638 Ford Fancies v. i, Your suds and pan of small-coal. 1646 Sir T. Browne Pseud. Ep. 88 Smal-coale is commonly known unto all, and for this use is made of Sallow, Willow, Alder, Hasell, and the like. 1705 Lond. Gaz. No. 4094/3 The Bran and Smallcoal made at their Office on Tower-hill. 1728 Chambers Cycl. s.v. Coal, An Artificial Fuel made..by half burning the Branches and Roots of Trees; properly call'd Charcoal, and Smallcoal. |
2. Coal of small size; slack.
| 1665 Dudley Mettall. Martis (1854) 8 Knowing that if there could be any use made of the Smal-coale.., then would they be drawn out of the Pits. 1677 Phil. Trans. XII. 898 The Men..hid themselves as well as they could in the loose sleck or small Cole. 1755 Johnson, Slack, small coal; coal broken in small parts. 1843 Holtzapffel Turning I. 205 Small-coal is thrown..into the hollow fire to replace that which is burned. 1891 Weekly Notes 136/2 The small coal was mainly produced by the friction of the blocks while being brought to the surface. |
3. attrib., as small-coal man, small coal question, small coal trade, etc.
| 1673 R. Head Canting Acad. 129 He lookt like a Small-Coal-man. 1715 Hearne Collect. (O.H.S.) V. 103 Thomas Britton..set up the Small-coal Trade. 1847 Thackeray Curate's Walk Wks. 1900 VI. 552 The Curate was very deep in conversation with a small-coalman. 1898 Daily News 6 May 2/7 At the same time there was a vehement dispute on the small coal question. |