coalman
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun: - A person whose job is to deliver coal: A coalman is someone employed to transport and supply coal, typically to homes or businesses, especially historically when coal was a primary fuel for heating and cooking.
Usage
- As a subject: The coalman arrives early every Monday to deliver our order.
- As an object: We paid the coalman after he unloaded the sacks.
- With a possessive: The coalman's hands were always blackened from his work.
Examples
- In the 1950s, the coalman would carry heavy sacks from his truck to the cellar.
- My grandfather worked as a coalman before central heating became common.
- You could hear the coalman coming down the street because of the sound of the lorry.
Advanced Usage
- Historical/Archaic Context: The term is used less frequently today due to the decline in domestic coal use. It often evokes a specific historical period.
- The novel depicted the life of a Victorian coalman, detailing the soot and grime of his daily rounds.
Variants and Related Words
- Coal merchant (noun): A person or company involved in the selling and often the delivery of coal. This term can imply a larger-scale business operation than "coalman."
- Coal delivery: The act or service of bringing coal.
- Coal miner (noun): A person who works underground or in a pit to extract coal.
Synonyms
- Coal deliverer: A more descriptive, modern synonym.
- Coal carrier: Emphasizes the transportation aspect.
- Fuel delivery driver: A broader, contemporary term that could include coal.
Notes on Meaning
- The word specifically denotes the person performing the delivery, not the seller or miner. Its usage is strongly tied to a time when door-to-door delivery of solid fuel was a common service.
Noun
- someone who delivers coal