coal mine
Americannoun
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Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of coal mine
First recorded in 1605–15
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The blaze, which killed 28 people, comes shortly after similar incidents at a coal mine and another at a fireworks factory.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
Measles is the canary in the coal mine for vaccination and public health, and at this moment, the canary is singing a doleful tune.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 3, 2026
Or were they particularly fragile canaries in an epidemiological coal mine?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 9, 2026
An online MRA map shows that there was a mine entry on what is now Dunmoss View and the area is marked as having "past shallow coal mine workings".
From BBC ● May 30, 2026
His life is as dark as an unlit coal mine; he’s trapped in the prison of his own fear, anger, agony, despair.
From "Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers" by Deborah Heiligman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
