miner

American  

[mahy-ner] / ˈmaɪ nər /

noun

1. Also called mineworker.  a person who works in a mine, especially a commercial mine producing coal or metallic ores.

   His ancestors were slate miners in Wales who emigrated to the United States.

2. a mechanical device used in mining.

   She made her money by developing a miner for extracting ores from the ocean floor.

3. any of several Australian birds of the genus Manorina, feeding on honey and typically having a loud call.

4. Entomology. any of various insect larvae that create tunnels in the parenchyma of leaves.

5. Digital Technology.

   1. a computer or network of computers engaged in solving sets of mathematical problems that are used to verify cryptocurrency transactions and that, when solved, yield a unit of the currency.

   2. a software application that is designed to run this process.

   3. a person or company that engages in this process.

6. (formerly) a person who places or lays explosive mines.

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miner British  

/ ˈmaɪnə /

noun

1. a person who works in a mine

2. Also called: continuous miner.  a large machine for the automatic extraction of minerals, esp coal, from a mine

3. any of various insects or insect larvae that bore into and feed on plant tissues See also leaf miner

4. any of several honey-eaters of the genus Manorina, esp M. melanocephala (noisy miner), of scrub regions See noisy miner

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Etymology

Origin of miner

First recorded in 1225–75; mine ² + -er ¹; replacing Middle English minour, from Anglo-French ( see -or ²)

Explanation

Picture a hardhat, a headlamp and a pick, and you are on the right track. A miner is a person who makes a living digging coal, salt, gold, minerals, or other natural resources out of the earth. The root here is the noun mine—not the word that possessive toddlers like to shout, but the one that describes a man-made underground network of tunnels and quarries. Don’t confuse miner with minor (note the “o”). Minor refers to musical intervals, small or trivial things, and people under age 18.

Example Sentences

Gold miner Barrick reported first quarter earnings of 98 cents a share and revenue up 67% to $5.22 billion.

From Barron's • May 11, 2026

The miner plans to buy back up to $2 billion of shares and pay a record interim dividend of $1.16, which compares with 12.5 cents a share it declared last year.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026

The company posted deep losses in its latest quarter amid an ongoing pivot away from being a Bitcoin miner to a data-center operator.

From Barron's • May 8, 2026

The South African gold miner said Thursday that since the conflict in the Middle East started, its diesel costs have increased by between 30% and 70% while liquefied-natural-gas prices are up by around 30%.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026

Miners had a mystique; to be a miner meant to be strong and daring, the ideal of manhood.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

Related Words

• prospector