mining

American  

[mahy-ning] / ˈmaɪ nɪŋ /

noun

1. the act, process, or industry of extracting ores, coal, etc., from mines.

2. the laying of explosive mines.

3. Digital Technology. the act or process by which cryptocurrency transactions, especially bitcoin, are verified and new cryptocurrency is generated: computer networks are used to solve sets of mathematical problems, that, when solved, yield a unit of that currency.

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mining British  

/ ˈmaɪnɪŋ /

noun

1. the act, process, or industry of extracting coal, ores, etc, from the earth

2. military the process of laying mines

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Etymology

Origin of mining

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English: “undermining (walls in an attack)”; mine ² + -ing ¹

Explanation

The process of removing something valuable from underground is mining. In order for coal to be used as fuel, it has to first be extracted from sedimentary rock through mining. Mining is used to extract minerals, gemstones, oil, gas, and any other materials that are useful or valuable enough to make the process worthwhile. Digging up substances from the earth is always tedious and sometimes dangerous. Coal mining is notoriously unhealthy for its workers, and surface mining involves blasting rocks with explosives to extract precious metals. You can think of mining as a kind of underground tunneling, from the verb mine, "to dig a tunnel."

Example Sentences

Mining activity is concentrated in an area known as the Orinoco Mining Arc.

From Barron's • Apr. 9, 2026

The drop is compressing the core of bitcoin’s business model: Mining, an energy-intensive process, only works when prices stay above costs.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 9, 2026

Mining analysts caution that companies and provincial authorities would still need to carry out costly scientific studies to determine which glacial areas are important water sources that need to remain protected.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026

In June 2024, Chemaf agreed to sell itself to Norin Mining, a subsidiary of Chinese state-owned defense company Norinco, for $920 million.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

The Mining Station was a black circle on the map, and the light dotted lines that were tunnels stretched out about it in spiderweb fashion.

From "I, Robot" by Isaac Asimov

Related Words

• drilling