coal mine

American  

noun

1. a mine or pit from which coal is obtained.

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Other Word Forms

• coal miner noun
• coal mining noun

Etymology

Origin of coal mine

First recorded in 1605–15

Example Sentences

But the backbreaking work left behind—often in agriculture or coal mines—was worse.

From The Wall Street Journal

“She’s almost like the canary in the coal mine,” McCarthy said.

From Salon

Viacom were like the canaries in the coal mine because our younger audiences were the first to really start turning towards the internet.

From The Wall Street Journal

In many ways, the U.K. is the canary in the coal mine for trade-offs that most industrialized nations will face in coming years, Wishart said.

From The Wall Street Journal

If the film is intended to be a canary in a coal mine, that bird has long since expired.

From Los Angeles Times