culm

Meaning

1. (countable, uncountable) Waste coal, used as a poor quality fuel.
2. (countable, uncountable) The spoils from which such low-quality coal can be retrieved.
3. (countable, uncountable) Anthracite, especially when found in small masses.

Synonyms

slack

haulm

blade

cane

shuck

stalk

straw

stubble

nickings

coal slack

slack coal

axis

coal screenings

chaff

halm

husk

Translations

κάλαμος χόρτων

καρβουνόσκονη

κάρφος

herbe

brin

culmo

culmus

stengel

kolengruis

brizna

cisco

eklemli ot sapı

kalitesiz antrasit

kömür tozu

Pronounced as (IPA)

/kʌlm/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: culme

Inherited from Old English: *colm

Cognate with Old English: col

In summary

From Middle English culme, colme (“fragments of coal”), of uncertain origin. Probably from Old English *colm, related to Old English col (“coal”). Alternatively, perhaps from Welsh cwlm (“knot or tie”), applied to this species of coal, which is much found in balls or knots in some parts of Wales.