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Coal vs Coax - What's the difference?

coal | coax |

As nouns the difference between coal and coax

is that coal is a black rock formed from prehistoric plant remains, composed largely of carbon and burned as a fuel while coax is a simpleton; a dupe.

As verbs the difference between coal and coax

is that coal is to take on a supply of coal (usually of steam ships) while coax is to fondle, kid, pet, tease.

coal

English

(wikipedia coal)

Noun

(en-noun)
  • (uncountable) A black rock formed from prehistoric plant remains, composed largely of carbon and burned as a fuel.
  • (countable) A piece of coal used for burning. Note that in British English either of the following examples could be used, whereas the latter would be more common in American English.
  • Put some coals on the fire.
    Put some coal on the fire.
  • (countable) A type of coal, such as bituminous, anthracite, or lignite, and grades and varieties thereof.
  • (countable) A glowing or charred piece of coal, wood, or other solid fuel.
  • Just as the camp-fire died down to just coals , with no flames to burn the marshmallows, someone dumped a whole load of wood on, so I gave up and went to bed.
  • Charcoal
  • Hyponyms

    * anthracite, bitumin

    Derived terms

    * bituminous coal, soft coal * brown coal * channel coal * coal ball * coal bed * coal black * coalboy * coal gas * coal hole * coal oil * coal tar * coal tit * coalmine, coal mine * coals to Newcastle * hard coal (see: anthracite) * white coal

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To take on a supply of coal (usually of steam ships).
  • * 1890 , (Oscar Wilde), The Picture of Dorian Gray , ch. XVI:
  • The light shook and splintered in the puddles. A red glare came from an outward-bound steamer that was coaling .
  • To be converted to charcoal.
  • * 1957 , H.R. Schubert, History of the British Iron and Steel Industry , p. 18:
  • As a result, particles of wood and twigs insufficiently coaled are frequently found at the bottom of such pits.
  • To burn to charcoal; to char.
  • * Francis Bacon
  • Charcoal of roots, coaled into great pieces.
  • To mark or delineate with charcoal.
  • (Camden)
  • To supply with coal.
  • to coal a steamer

    Anagrams

    *

    coax

    English

    Etymology 1

    originally (1586) in the slang phrase to make a coax of , from earlier noun coax, cox, cokes "fool, simpleton", itself of obscure origin, perhaps related to cock (male bird, pert boy). The modern spelling is from 1706.

    Verb

  • (obsolete) To fondle, kid, pet, tease.
  • To wheedle, persuade (a person, organisation, animal etc.) gradually or by use of flattery to do something.
  • * , chapter=6
  • , title= Mr. Pratt's Patients , passage=She was so mad she wouldn't speak to me for quite a spell, but at last I coaxed her into going up to Miss Emmeline's room and fetching down a tintype of the missing Deacon man.}}
  • * 12 July 2012 , Sam Adams, AV Club Ice Age: Continental Drift
  • On paper, Continental Drift boasts a jaw-dropping voice cast, including but not limited to Jennifer Lopez, Patrick Stewart, Wanda Sykes, Aziz Ansari, Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Nicki Minaj, Drake, and Alan Tudyk. But in practice, the overstuffed ensemble leaves the cast no room to distinguish themselves, and directors Steve Martino and Michael Thurmeier don’t seem interested in coaxing performances that might render their money stars less identifiable.
  • To carefully manipulate into a particular desired state, situation or position.
  • * {{quote-magazine, year=2013, month=July-August, author=(Henry Petroski)
  • , title= Geothermal Energy , volume=101, issue=4, magazine=(American Scientist) , passage=Energy has seldom been found where we need it when we want it. Ancient nomads, wishing to ward off the evening chill and enjoy a meal around a campfire, had to collect wood and then spend time and effort coaxing the heat of friction out from between sticks to kindle a flame.}}
    Synonyms
    * (persuade gradually) cajole, persuade, wheedle * (manipulate carefully into position) ease

    Noun

    (es)
  • (obsolete) A simpleton; a dupe.
  • (Beaumont and Fletcher)

    Etymology 2

    Shortened from coaxial

    Noun

    (coaxial cable) (es)
  • References

    * [http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=coax&searchmode=none]

    Anagrams

    * English heteronyms ----