a brown carbonaceous sedimentary rock with woody texture that consists of accumulated layers of partially decomposed vegetation: used as a fuel. Fixed carbon content: 46–60 per cent; calorific value: 1.28 × 107 to 1.93 × 107 J/kg (5500 to 8300 Btu/lb)
Also called: brown coal
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
lig•nite
(lig′nīt),USA pronunciation n.
lig•nit•ic
(lig nit′ik),USA pronunciation adj.
- Mininga soft coal, usually dark brown, often having a distinct woodlike texture, and intermediate in density and carbon content between peat and bituminous coal.
- 1800–10; lign- + -ite1
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
'lignite' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
Kopeisk
- Leoben
- brown coal
- coal
- humic acid
- lign-
- lignite wax
- montan wax
- rank
- wood coal