galamsey
Americannoun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of galamsey
First recorded in 1980–85; dialectal abbreviation of gather them and sell
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.
Ghana is Africa's leading gold producer, but a large portion of the country's waters and environment have been polluted by illegal mining, known as locally as "galamsey".
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
Fuelled by rising gold prices and youth unemployment, illegal gold mining has been growing in Ghana, despite military operations to shut down galamsey activities.
From BBC ● Apr. 15, 2025
He also points to an upsurge in small-scale mining in the area, known locally as galamsey, that’s polluted the water.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 18, 2024
Mercury poisoning also affects people who live near galamsey sites through drinking water and fish consumption.
From National Geographic ● Mar. 6, 2018
I wondered how he’d gone about it, since we were always hearing how galamsey was illegal, but no one seemed to care.
From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo
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.
