coalface

British

/ ˈkəʊlˌfeɪs /

noun

the exposed seam of coal in a mine

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

After 14 years at the coalface, Mr Drury became a training officer for a year and his pension was transferred from the MPS to the BCSSS.

From BBC

Since the late 1980s, he has been at the coalface of psychedelic counterculture.

From Salon

Meanwhile, Mr Hunt told BBC Breakfast he would "get the British economy going", having served "at the coalface" by setting up his own business.

From BBC

England have given hints at their backline sparkle and coalface spirit over the past year.

From BBC

But those who spend their days at the coalface of climate change policy are clearly grateful for his efforts and impressed by his drive.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023