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drift mine

American  

noun

  1. a mine the opening of which is dug into an outcrop of coal or ore.

  2. an underground placer mine.


Etymology

Origin of drift mine

An Americanism dating back to 1885–90

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.

See Examples For:

Charles Breslin, 62, David Powell, 50, Phillip Hill, 44, and Garry Jenkins, 39, died when water flooded the Gleision drift mine near Cilybebyll, Neath Port Talbot, on 15 September 2011.

From BBC Nov. 29, 2024

Charles Breslin, 62, David Powell, 50, Phillip Hill, 44, and Garry Jenkins, 39, died when water flooded the Gleision drift mine, near Cilybebyll, Neath Port Talbot, in September 2011.

From BBC Mar. 24, 2023

Administrators said the mine had long-term viability with the right investment Administrators appointed to the largest drift mine in Wales have announced 180 workers have been made redundant.

From BBC Oct. 31, 2013

The colliery is a drift mine, a relatively low-cost form of underground mining, when tunnels -- drifts -- are dug horizontally into rock, rather than directly downwards.

From Reuters Sep. 16, 2011

The plan is to create a drift mine – cheaper than deep mining and less destructive to the environment than open-cast.

From Newsweek

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