Coaly

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Of, relating to, or similar in appearance to coal, particularly in being dark and carbonaceous
2. Containing coal or possessing qualities characteristic of coal such as darkness and brittleness
3. Having the dark color, texture, or composition of coal

Etymology: "Coaly" is about as plain as English word-building gets: the noun "coal" with the adjective-forming suffix "-y," meaning "having the qualities of or resembling." A coaly surface is one that looks like or is covered with coal, or a substance that contains it. The word has a close relative in "colly," a older form that carries the same sense of being black with coal dust or soot. Both words trace back to the same ancient noun for the black fuel, so "coaly" and "colly" are essentially variants of one another, built on the same stem with the same suffix-driven logic.

Synonyms: coal-like, carbonaceous