anthracite, which is naturally hard, combusts more cleanly than bituminous coal
Recent Examples on the WebThe heat has also caused methane in landfills to combust and release toxic smoke into the atmosphere. Priya Shukla, Forbes, 30 Apr. 2022 In December, General Motors recalled 141,000 Chevrolet Bolt electric cars after their batteries started to combust spontaneously. Julian Mark, Washington Post, 22 June 2022 Fire Factor includes a graphic on the possible height of flames that could reach a home, how likely a home might be to combust and the most recent wildfire larger than 100 acres within 20 miles. Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA TODAY, 16 May 2022 Like much of the West, New Mexico is in the grips of a yearslong drought that is drying up water supplies and leaving forests ready to combust. Dan Frosch And Alicia A. Caldwell, WSJ, 7 May 2022 The blaze continued its run Wednesday through dry grass and scattered Ponderosa pines around homes into volcanic cinder fields, where roots underground can combust and send small rocks flying into the air, fire officials said. From Usa Today Network And Wire Reports, USA TODAY, 21 Apr. 2022 Semele, white and droopy, is about to simultaneously combust. Brian T. Allen, National Review, 10 Mar. 2022 Everyone with a voice and an internet connection is questioning Xavier's toughness, wondering if the Musketeers will combust with the season on the line. Adam Baum, The Enquirer, 17 Feb. 2022 And there’s no way the bear would spontaneously combust all on its own. Erik Kain, Forbes, 3 Jan. 2022 See More
Word History
Etymology
derivative of earlier combust, combusted "burned, consumed," going back to Middle English combust, borrowed from Latin combustus, past participle of combūrere "to destroy with fire, reduce to ashes, calcine," from com-com- + ūrere "to expose to fire, burn, scorch" (with -b- from ambūrere "to burn around, scorch," falsely parsed as am- + būrere) — more at adust