- charcoal
- mid-14c., first element is either O.Fr. charbon "charcoal," or, on the current theory, obs. charren "to turn" (from O.E. cerran) + cole "coal," thus, "to turn to coal."
- char
- 1679, back-formation of charcoal (q.v.).
- seacoal
- old name for "mineral coal" (as opposed to charcoal), c.1253; earlier in O.E., "jet," which chiefly was found washed ashore by the sea. The coal perhaps so called from resemblance to this, or because it was first dug from beds exposed by wave erosion.
- collier
- 1276, "charcoal maker and seller," from M.E. col (see coal). They were notorious for cheating. Sense of "ship for hauling coal" is from 1625.
- coke
- 1699, northern Eng. dial., perhaps a variant of M.E. colke "core, charcoal," itself possibly related to -colc, an O.E. word for "pit." The soft drink name is a shortening (first recorded 1909) of brand name Coca-Cola, trademark from 1887. As a shortened form of cocaine it dates from 1908, Amer.Eng.
- shrapnel
- 1806, from Gen. Henry Shrapnel (1761-1842), who invented a type of exploding, fragmenting shell when he was a lieutenant in the Royal Artillery during the Peninsular War. The invention consisted of a hollow cannon ball, filled with shot, which burst in mid-air; his name for it was spherical case ammunition. Sense of "shell fragments" is first recorded 1940. The surname is attested from 13c., and is believed to be a metathesized form of Charbonnel, a dim. form of O.Fr. charbon "charcoal," in ref. to complexion, hair color, or some other quality.
- coal
- O.E. col "charcoal, live coal," from P.Gmc. *kula(n), from PIE base *g(e)u-lo- "live coal." Meaning "mineral consisting of fossilized carbon" is from 1253. First mentioned (370 B.C.E.) by Theophrastus in his treatise "On Stones" under the name lithos anthrakos (see anthrax). Traditionally good luck, coal was given as a New Year's gift in England, said to guarantee a warm hearth for the coming year. The phrase drag (or rake) over the coals was a reference to the treatment meted out to heretics by Christians. To carry coals to Newcastle (1606) Anglicizes Gk. glauk eis Athenas "owls to Athens."
- carbon
- 1789, coined 1780s in Fr. by Lavoisier as charbone, from L. carbo (gen. carbonis) "glowing coal, charcoal," from PIE base *ker- "heat, fire, to burn" (cf. L. cremare "to burn;" Skt. krsna "black, burnt," kudayati "singes;" Lith. kuriu "to heat," karštas "hot," krosnis "oven;" O.C.S. kurjo "to smoke," krada "fireplace, hearth;" Rus. ceren "brazier;" O.H.G. harsta "roasting;" Goth. hauri "coal;" O.N. hyrr "fire;" O.E. heorđ "hearth"). Carbon 14, long-lived radioactive isotope used in dating organic deposits, is from 1936. Carbon dating (using carbon 14) is recorded from 1958. Carbon cycle is attested from 1912. Carbon footprint was in use by 2001. Carbon paper (soon to be obsolete) is from 1895.