0%

rake over the coals

coal
R r

Transcription

    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • [kohl]
    • /reɪk ˈoʊ vər stressed ði koʊl/
    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • [kohl]
    • /reɪk ˈoʊ vər stressed ði koʊl/

Definitions of rake over the coals words

  • noun rake over the coals a black or dark-brown combustible mineral substance consisting of carbonized vegetable matter, used as a fuel. Compare anthracite, bituminous coal, lignite. 1
  • noun rake over the coals a piece of glowing, charred, or burned wood or other combustible substance. 1
  • noun rake over the coals charcoal (def 1). 1
  • verb with object rake over the coals to burn to coal or charcoal. 1
  • verb with object rake over the coals to provide with coal. 1
  • verb without object rake over the coals to take in coal for fuel. 1
See all 8 definitions of rake over the coals

Information block about the term

Origin of rake over the coals

First appearance:

before 900
One of the 4% oldest English words
before 900; Middle English cole, Old English col; cognate with Dutch kool, German Kohle, Old Norse kol

Historical Comparancy

Parts of speech for Rake over the coals

noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
Full grammatical hierarchy of Rake over the coals

rake over the coals popularity

A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 100% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.
Most Europeans know this English word. The frequency of it’s usage is somewhere between "mom" and "screwdriver".

rake over the coals usage trend in Literature

This diagram is provided by Google Ngram Viewer

Synonyms for rake over the coals

verb rake over the coals

  • bawl out — If someone bawls you out, they shout at you angrily because you have done something wrong.
  • berate — If you berate someone, you speak to them angrily about something they have done wrong.
  • blistered — a thin vesicle on the skin, containing watery matter or serum, as from a burn or other injury.
  • bludgeoned — a short, heavy club with one end weighted, or thicker and heavier than the other.
  • bludgeoning — a short, heavy club with one end weighted, or thicker and heavier than the other.
All 20 Synonyms of rake over the coals

See also

Matching words

Was this page helpful?
Yes No
Thank you for your feedback! Tell your friends about this page
Tell us why?