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The Collaborative International Dictionary
Small coal

Small \Small\ (sm[add]l), a. [Compar. Smaller; superl. Smallest.] [OE. small, AS. sm[ae]l; akin to D. smal narrow, OS. & OHG. smal small, G. schmal narrow, Dan. & Sw. smal, Goth. smals small, Icel. smali smal cattle, sheep, or goats; cf. Gr. mh^lon a sheep or goat.]

  1. Having little size, compared with other things of the same kind; little in quantity or degree; diminutive; not large or extended in dimension; not great; not much; inconsiderable; as, a small man; a small river.

    To compare Great things with small.
    --Milton.

  2. Being of slight consequence; feeble in influence or importance; unimportant; trivial; insignificant; as, a small fault; a small business.

  3. Envincing little worth or ability; not large-minded; -- sometimes, in reproach, paltry; mean.

    A true delineation of the smallest man is capable of interesting the greatest man.
    --Carlyle.

  4. Not prolonged in duration; not extended in time; short; as, after a small space.
    --Shak.

  5. Weak; slender; fine; gentle; soft; not loud. ``A still, small voice.'' --1 Kings xix. 12. Great and small,of all ranks or degrees; -- used especially of persons. ``His quests, great and small.'' --Chaucer. Small arms, muskets, rifles, pistols, etc., in distinction from cannon. Small beer. See under Beer. Small coal.

    1. Little coals of wood formerly used to light fires.
      --Gay.

    2. Coal about the size of a hazelnut, separated from the coarser parts by screening.

      Small craft (Naut.), a vessel, or vessels in general, of a small size.

      Small fruits. See under Fruit.

      Small hand, a certain size of paper. See under Paper.

      Small hours. See under Hour.

      Small letter. (Print.), a lower-case letter. See Lower-case, and Capital letter, under Capital, a.

      Small piece, a Scotch coin worth about 21/4d. sterling, or about 41/2cents.

      Small register. See the Note under 1st Register, 7.

      Small stuff (Naut.), spun yarn, marline, and the smallest kinds of rope.
      --R. H. Dana, Jr.

      Small talk, light or trifling conversation; chitchat.

      Small wares (Com.), various small textile articles, as tapes, braid, tringe, and the like.
      --M`Culloch.

Wiktionary
small coal

n. 1 (context obsolete English) charcoal. 2 Small fragments of coal; slack.

Usage examples of "small coal".

A man Mike had known all his life, the mayor of what had once been nothing more than a small coal-mining town in West Virginia.

There were suitcases and Val-packs full of clothing, a wooden box full of tinned food, and a small coal stove which he, Yergen, had procured for them.

The only light in the cabin came from a small coal-oil lamp on the table.

Wenham himself was a staunch old True Blue Tory, and his father a small coal-merchant in the north of England), this aide-de-camp of the Marquis never showed any sort of hostility to the new favourite: but pursued her with stealthy kindnesses, and a sly and deferential politeness, which somehow made Becky more uneasy than other people’.

Now the reality was in my hold, I only felt that I was dusty with the dust of small coal, and that I had a weight upon my daily remembrance to which the anvil was a feather.

A small coal glowed with a red light and a shower of tiny sun-yellow sparks.

The room was warmed by a small coal brazier that was attached to a tubular chimney.

His solution was to start a small coal fire on the ground behind the company shower room, from which they could take coals with a shovel.

It was a dark little room, lit by a small coal fire on the hearth and a lantern hanging at one end of the plank bar.