Lignite
/ˈlɪɡ.naɪt/noun
A soft, brownish coal formed from compressed peat, used as a low-grade fuel.
Did you know?Lignite comes from Latin lignum, meaning “wood,” so its name preserves the shocking truth that coal begins as trapped, transformed plant matter.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
lignum
“wood”
19th Century
French
lignite
“a brown coal or fossil fuel resembling wood”
19th Century
English
lignite
“brown coal”
Modern English
English
lignite
“a soft brown coal used as a fuel”