dial. Also brassil, brazill, brazzil, brazzle. [? f. BRASS. Perh. better spelt brassil; but brazzle is the common dialect pronunciation.]
1. A miners’ name in the midland counties for iron pyrites.
1747. Hooson, Miner’s Dict., O ij. Brassil, a ponderous shining Substance, we do not know that it is of any Value to hold any Metal at all.
1879. Miss Jackson, Shropsh. Gloss., s.v., Brazil is found chiefly in the ‘yard coal.’
1884. Prof. C. Lapworth (in letter). I have heard the remark ‘the coal is a poor one and full of brazzle.’
2. Coal containing much pyrites; spec. applied to ‘the middle seam of the Great Thick Coal of South Staffordshire, which is characterized by the unfailing presence of a seam of iron pyrites, and has been locally known as the Brazzles from time immemorial; hence transferred to other hard coals of similar character.’ (Prof. C. Lapworth).
1853. Jukes, Geol. S. Staff. Coalf., 35, note. Brassil is a term generally used to denote a rough impure coal; sometimes to denote the presence of much iron pyrites. Ibid. (1859), Geol. Survey Mem. S. Staff. Coalf., 173.
¶ As hard as brazil: see prec.
