brown-coal-bearing
|brown-coal-bear-ing|
🇺🇸
/ˌbraʊnˈkoʊlˈbɛrɪŋ/
🇬🇧
/ˌbraʊnˈkəʊlˈbeərɪŋ/
containing brown coal
Etymology
'brown-coal-bearing' is a Modern English compound formed from the words 'brown', 'coal', and 'bearing'. 'Brown' comes from Old English 'brūn' meaning 'brown'; 'coal' comes from Old English 'col' meaning 'coal'; 'bearing' is from the verb 'bear' (Old English 'beran') meaning 'to carry or produce'.
The compound arose in Modern English usage (19th–20th century) as industrial geology and mining terminology developed, combining the adjective 'brown' + noun 'coal' with the participial adjective-forming 'bearing' to describe deposits that 'bear' or contain brown coal.
Initially the components literally indicated 'carrying/containing brown coal'; over time the fixed compound came to be used specifically in geological and mining contexts to label deposits or regions that include lignite.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
containing, yielding, or characterized by brown coal (lignite); used especially in geology and mining to describe deposits or areas that have brown coal.
The brown-coal-bearing basin was extensively mapped before the mine was developed.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2026/01/15 05:40