coaling-station
Definition
Noun: - A place where ships or trains can take on a supply of coal for fuel. Specifically, a "coaling-station" is a depot or port facility equipped with the infrastructure (such as cranes, bunkers, or storage yards) to load coal onto vessels or locomotives.
Usage Examples
- (A facility where coal was loaded onto ships.)
- (A depot where trains received coal.)
Advanced Usage
- "coaling-station" can be used metaphorically to describe any place that supplies a critical resource.
- The small town became a coaling-station for the advancing army, providing fuel and supplies. (A place that refuels or resupplies a military force.)
Variants and Related Words
- Coaling (noun): the act of supplying or taking on coal.
- The ship’s coaling operation took several hours. (The process of loading coal.)
- Station (noun): a regular stopping place or depot.
- The train station included a coaling-station for steam engines. (A specific type of depot.)
Synonyms
- Bunkering station: a place where ships take on fuel (often used for oil or coal).
- Fuel depot: a storage facility for fuel, including coal.
- Coal wharf: a dock or quay where coal is loaded onto vessels.
Related Idioms
- After a good meal, I felt like a coaling-station ready to refuel. (A metaphorical comparison to having energy replenished.)