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What is a word to describe the blackness of charred wood called with a word that emphasizes that it comes from charring?

Of course it is technically usually identical to jet-black, but is there a word which also stresses that the color actually comes from charred wood? I would like something like char-black, but this does not seem to be a correct term.

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  • If I'm reading your question right, you're asking for a name for "black" which suggested "charred wood" - is this correct?
    – Rand al'Thor
    Commented Nov 14, 2015 at 14:39
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    I'm going with "charcoal". After all it's used in charcoal pencils for sketching, suggests charred wood quite well, and has the added benefit of being black. If that seems to simplistic perhaps "coal black".
    – Misneac
    Commented Nov 14, 2015 at 14:44
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    The black nuance of charred wood is called char in English. There's a lot of char on that bench, Harry; we're gonna have to get some more steel wool.
    – John Lawler
    Commented Nov 14, 2015 at 14:44
  • I think that's about as close to definitive as it's possible to be on ELU. Seems like a pretty good consensus.
    – Misneac
    Commented Nov 14, 2015 at 14:52
  • @randal'thor, Yes you understood my question correct.
    – PetaspeedBeaver
    Commented Nov 14, 2015 at 15:59

2 Answers 2

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How about charcoal? It can be used as an adjective meaning "a dark grey colour", probably this kind of grey:

charcoal

Coal-black could also work: it doesn't specifically suggest charred wood, but it definitely has connotations of burning.

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  • Great minds think alike; and apparently so do we.
    – Misneac
    Commented Nov 14, 2015 at 14:46
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Coal black may suggest the idea:

  • a pure black colour.

Cambridge Dictionary

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  • Your answer came while I was typing mine, but I didn't look at it - we did come up with "coal black" independently! :-)
    – Rand al'Thor
    Commented Nov 14, 2015 at 14:45

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