| 1. | a gas used for illuminating and heating, produced by distilling bituminous coal and consisting chiefly of hydrogen, methane, and carbon monoxide. |
| 2. | the gas formed by burning coal. |
| coal gas n.
|
coal gas
gaseous mixture-mainly hydrogen, methane, and carbon monoxide-formed by the destructive distillation (i.e., heating in the absence of air) of bituminous coal and used as a fuel. Sometimes steam is added to react with the hot coke, thus increasing the yield of gas. Coal tar and coke (qq.v.) are obtained as by-products.
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