lignite (lĬg´nīt) or brown coal, carbonaceous fuel intermediate between coal and peat, brown or yellowish in color and woody in texture. It contains more moisture than coal and tends to dry and crumble when exposed to the air; the flame is long and smoky and the heating power low. It is found in the United States, Canada, Germany, and elsewhere chiefly in formations formed in the Tertiary period.

lignite Poor, brown coal with a visibly woody structure, relatively unaltered, between peat and bituminous coal in rank. It is non-coking, burns with a long, smoky flame, and contains up to 40% moisture when mined, although this can be reduced to 10–15% by drying in air. It is found in Tertiary basins in Britain, and also in continental Europe where it is economically important.

lig·nite / ˈligˌnīt/ • n. a soft brownish coal showing traces of plant structure, intermediate between bituminous coal and peat. DERIVATIVES: lig·nit·ic / ligˈnitik/ adj.

lignite See coal.

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