Mining & Geology

This section covers the physical rock formations, ore deposits, and mineral structures found in the earth.

• Alginite
  A maceral found in coal and oil shale formed from the fossilized remains of marine algae.
• Allochem
  A recognizable sedimentary grain in a carbonate rock that was transported before deposition.
• Analcitic
  Describing an igneous rock that contains a significant proportion of the zeolite mineral analcime.
• Anchimonomineralalso monolithologic
  Describing a rock that is composed almost entirely of a single mineral species.
• Antecryst
  A crystal that grew in a magma plumbing system prior to the final transport and eruption of the host magma.
• Apexalso outcrop, suboutcrop
  The highest point or outcrop of a mineral vein or orebody near the surface.
• Aphanite
  An igneous rock with a grain size so fine that individual crystals cannot be distinguished by the naked eye.
• Aphanitic
  Having a texture composed of microscopic crystals that are invisible to the unaided eye.
• Autocryst
  A crystal that grew directly from the specific batch of magma that formed its host rock.
• Azogue
  An old Spanish colonial mining term for mercury or silver ore suited for mercury amalgamation. Shop talk
• Ball vein
  A deposit of iron ore occurring in loose, spherical masses.
• Bassetingalso basset, outcropping
  The upward inclination or outcropping direction of a mineral vein or coal seam.
• Bedrock
  The solid, intact rock layer that lies beneath soil, gravel, and other loose surface materials.
• Biolith
  A sedimentary rock formed primarily from the remains or activities of living organisms.
• Bituminosulfonate
  An organic compound derived from the dry distillation and sulfonation of oil shale.
• Black sand
  Heavy, dark mineral sand consisting largely of magnetite, often indicating the presence of placer gold.
• Black tin
  Dressed and washed cassiterite ore that is ready for the smelting furnace.
• Blond metal
  A historic variety of clay ironstone used to manufacture tools and hardware.
• Bonanza
  An exceptionally large and rich ore body, usually containing precious metals like gold or silver.
• Brat
  A thin, impure seam of coal heavily mixed with pyrite or other minerals. Shop talk
• Breccia
  A clastic sedimentary or tectonic rock composed of large, angular fragments cemented together.
• Brood
  An older Cornish mining term for heavy waste minerals associated with tin and copper ores. Shop talk
• Bunch
  An isolated, exceptionally rich pocket of ore found within a vein or the surrounding host rock.
• Bunny
  An irregular, pod-like mass of solid ore that bulges out suddenly from a normal vein. Shop talk
• Callow
  The upper layer of loose rubble and soil covering bedrock. Shop talk
• Capel
  A tough, altered wall rock found alongside tin and copper veins.
• Cataclastic
  Describes rock texture formed by severe mechanical crushing and shearing.
• Chat
  Coarse gravel waste produced during the milling of lead and zinc ores. Shop talk
• Cocklealso schorl, black tourmaline
  A traditional miner's term for black tourmaline, specifically the iron-rich variety schorl.
• Concretion
  A hard, compact mass of matter formed by the precipitation of mineral cement within the spaces between particles.
• Contact
  The boundary surface where two different types of rock touch each other.
• Countryalso country rock
  The general mass of barren rock surrounding a mineral vein or orebody. Shop talk
• Country rock
  The pre-existing, non-mineralized rock that surrounds and encloses an orebody or igneous intrusion.
• Cropalso outcrop
  The portion of a mineral vein or coal seam that is exposed at the ground surface.
• Cross-course
  An intersecting vein or fault that cuts across the main mineral lode.
• Cryptocrystalline
  Describes a rock texture where crystals are too small to be seen without a microscope.
• Cutinite
  A coal maceral derived from the waxy outer coating of plant leaves and stems.
• Dead ground
  A barren section of a vein or geological structure that contains no valuable minerals.
• Deadsalso country rock, waste rock
  Waste rock or barren material that surrounds an ore body. Shop talk
• Diktytaxitic
  A volcanic rock texture featuring abundant microscopic, angular gas cavities between crystals.
• Dirtalso muck, spoil
  Unprocessed broken rock, gravel, or earth, especially in placer mining. Shop talk
• Dreikanter
  A wind-eroded rock or pebble featuring three distinct, polished facets meeting at sharp edges.
• Dropper
  A secondary mineral vein that branches downward from a main lode.
• Dykealso dike
  A sheet-like body of intrusive rock that cuts across older rock layers.
• Einkanter
  A wind-polished pebble or rock featuring a single distinct ridge or face.
• Elvanalso blue elvan
  A traditional mining term for a dyke of quartz-porphyry or fine-grained granite. Shop talk
• Embrechite
  A type of migmatite where the original rock structure remains partially visible.
• Endogangue
  Unwanted mineral material trapped inside valuable ore grains.
• Eolith
  A naturally fractured stone that resembles a primitive human tool.
• Equigranular
  A rock texture where the constituent mineral crystals are all roughly the same size.
• Essexitealso nepheline monzogabbro
  A dark, silica-undersaturated intrusive igneous rock.
• Exogangue
  Unwanted waste material located outside and between the valuable ore grains.
• Fabric
  The spatial and geometric arrangement of elements within a rock.
• Fault
  A planar fracture in a rock volume across which there has been significant displacement.
• Felsic
  Describes igneous rocks rich in lighter elements like silicon and aluminum.
• Flat
  A horizontal ore deposit or a horizontal section of an otherwise inclined vein.
• Footwall
  The block of rock that lies on the underside of an inclined fault or mineral vein.
• Fret
  An eroded riverbank where heavy mineral ores accumulate after washing downstream.
• Gangue
  The commercially worthless rock or mineral matter mixed with valuable ore.
• Girdle
  A thin, hard bed of stone sandwiched between softer sedimentary layers.
• Glebe
  A historic term for a piece of earth or clod containing extractable ore.
• Gougealso fault gouge, clay gouge
  A layer of soft, pulverized rock found along a fault plane or ore contact.
• Granophyric
  An igneous rock texture characterized by the microscopic intergrowth of quartz and feldspar.
• Growan
  A highly weathered, crumbly granite found in tin mining districts. Shop talk
• Gulfalso bunch
  An unusually large, thick deposit of ore found within a vein. Shop talk
• Hade
  The angle of inclination of a geological fault or vein measured from the vertical.
• Hanging sidealso hanging wall
  The upper boundary or rock face resting on an inclined mineral vein.
• Hanging wallalso hanging side
  The block of rock that lies above an inclined fault plane or ore body.
• Hardground
  A tough, consolidated sedimentary rock layer that interrupts softer strata.
• Hardrock
  Igneous or metamorphic rock containing metallic ores, distinct from soft sedimentary deposits.
• Heave
  The horizontal displacement of a rock stratum or vein caused by a geological fault.
• Horsealso horse of rock
  A large block of barren country rock completely enclosed within a mineral vein or ore body.
• Indane
  A bicyclic hydrocarbon found naturally in crude oil and petroleum deposits.
• Intersertal
  A rock texture where volcanic glass fills the spaces between larger randomly oriented crystals.
• Iron ore
  A mineral aggregate from which metallic iron can be extracted economically.
• Isohume
  A contour line on a geological map connecting points of equal moisture content in a coal seam.
• Jumpalso throw
  A sudden vertical displacement in a coal seam or ore vein caused by a geological fault. Shop talk
• Keratophyre
  A dense, fine-grained volcanic rock rich in sodium-bearing feldspars.
• Lapillistone
  A solid volcanic rock composed primarily of small, pebble-sized volcanic fragments.
• Light oil
  A volatile, low-density liquid fraction distilled from coal tar or crude petroleum.
• Lithogeochemistry
  The study of the chemical composition of rocks to understand their origin and locate ore deposits.
• Lodealso vein, lead
  A defined vein or tabular deposit of valuable metallic ore embedded within barren rock.
• Lodestuffalso veinstuff
  The complete physical material extracted from a mineralized vein.
• Luncart
  A dense, lenticular nodule or ball of rock found within a softer geological bed.
• Marble
  A metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, typically calcite or dolomite.
• Metalliferous
  Containing economically viable quantities of metallic elements.
• Metasediment
  A sedimentary rock that has been altered by heat and pressure.
• Microfacies
  The microscopic characteristics of a rock that reveal its depositional environment.
• Mineralogy
  The scientific study of the chemistry, crystal structure, and physical properties of minerals.
• Monolithologicalso monomictic
  Describing a geological unit or sediment deposit consisting entirely of a single type of rock.
• Morlop
  A small, rounded jasper pebble found in Australian gem fields. Shop talk
• Mudstone
  A fine-grained sedimentary rock formed from consolidated mud and clay.
• Mullockalso deads, attle
  Waste rock or barren ground excavated during the search for an ore body. Shop talk
• Nip-outalso pinch-out
  A geological anomaly where a coal seam thins rapidly or disappears completely.
• Orefieldalso mining district, mineral belt
  A large geographic region containing numerous economically viable mineral deposits.
• Orthoamphibolite
  A dark metamorphic rock formed specifically from the alteration of an igneous precursor.
• Orthomagmatic
  Relating to the primary and main stage of magma crystallization.
• Paraffin
  An alkane hydrocarbon found in crude oil and natural gas deposits.
• Pay dirtalso pay gravel
  Mined material that contains enough valuable mineral to be processed at a profit. Shop talk
• Paystreak
  A concentrated zone of valuable ore found within a larger, lower-grade mineral vein or deposit.
• Peloid
  A small, rounded sedimentary grain composed of microcrystalline carbonate.
• Petanque
  A historic name for various silver and copper sulfide ores.
• Petrochemical
  A chemical compound extracted or synthesized from crude oil or natural gas.
• Petrography
  The detailed scientific description and classification of rocks based on their mineral content and texture.
• Petroliferous
  Describes rocks or sedimentary basins that contain or yield petroleum.
• Phanerite
  An igneous rock with crystals large enough to be seen with the naked eye.
• Phaneritic
  Having a coarse-grained rock texture with visible mineral crystals.
• Pinch-out
  A geological formation where a rock layer or orebody tapers until it disappears.
• Pineapple opalalso opal pineapple
  A rare, spiky formation of opal pseudomorphing after another mineral crystal.
• PRMS
  The Petroleum Resources Management System used to classify oil and gas reserves.
• Protomylonite
  A fault-zone rock that has undergone early stages of intense shearing and grain reduction.
• Pyrometamorphic
  Describes rocks that have been altered by extreme, localized heat without melting entirely.
• Ramble
  A loose or friable bed of shale sitting directly above a coal seam.
• Random
  The general direction or strike of a steeply dipping rake-vein.
• Ribbed
  A coal seam is ribbed when it contains thin, alternating layers of slate or shale.
• Rock glass
  A natural glass formed by the rapid cooling of magma or lava.
• Roofstone
  The specific geological rock stratum lying directly on top of a coal seam.
• Runalso strike, trend
  The directional trend of an ore vein or the horizontal distance a tunnel extends.
• Seatearthalso seat earth, spavin
  The fossilized soil horizon of sedimentary rock located directly beneath a coal seam.
• Selvagealso gouge, clay seam
  The boundary layer of altered rock or clay between a mineral vein and the surrounding country rock.
• Shaken
  Describing a seam of coal or rock that is naturally fractured or broken up in place. Shop talk
• Shoadalso float, shode
  Loose fragments of ore found in soil or stream beds, used to trace a mineral vein back to its source.
• Sialic
  A geological classification for rock layers that are rich in silica and alumina.
• Simatic
  A geological term describing rocks and crustal layers rich in silica and magnesia.
• Sloam
  A band of clay or soft shale occurring between seams of coal.
• Smut
  Soft, low-quality coal contaminated with earthy matter.
• Spinifex
  A rock texture featuring long, intersecting, needle-like crystals of olivine or pyroxene.
• Stockwork
  A complex system of structurally controlled, randomly oriented mineralized veinlets.
• Striation
  A linear scratch or groove gouged into bedrock by the movement of a glacier or fault.
• Subequigranular
  A rock texture where the constituent mineral crystals are roughly, but not perfectly, the same size.
• Subvolcanicalso hypabyssal
  Describes igneous rocks that crystallized near the surface at shallow depths.
• Swad
  A thin band of waste rock or refuse found at the very bottom of a coal seam. Shop talk
• Swellyalso swell
  A localized area where a coal seam becomes abnormally thick. Shop talk
• Symplectic
  Describes a rock texture featuring an intimate, worm-like intergrowth of two different minerals.
• Symplectite
  A microscopic rock structure consisting of two intimately intergrown minerals.
• Symplectitic
  Describes a rock texture where two different minerals are intimately intergrown.
• Telluric gold
  An older term for gold chemically bonded with tellurium rather than occurring as a free metal.
• Teschenite
  A dark, coarse-grained igneous rock rich in pyroxene, olivine, and analcime.
• Theralite
  A dark, coarse-grained plutonic rock composed mainly of plagioclase, pyroxene, and nepheline.
• Thillalso floor, seatearth
  The layer of rock or clay lying immediately beneath a coal seam.
• Thrum
  A minor geological fault or displacement that interrupts a continuous coal or ore seam. Shop talk
• Tonstein
  A hard, thin layer of volcanic ash altered to claystone, used as a marker bed in coal seams.
• Tuffite
  A sedimentary rock containing a mixture of volcanic ash and ordinary sedimentary particles.
• Twitch
  A sudden constriction or narrowing of a mineral vein.
• Ultrapotassic
  Describes igneous rocks with an exceptionally high concentration of potassium.
• Veinstuff
  The non-valuable minerals and rock that fill a vein alongside the target ore.
• Wall
  The mass of country rock that bounds and encloses a mineral lode or vein.
• Wantalso washout, nip-out
  A localized area in a coal seam where the coal is missing due to ancient erosion or faulting.
• Washdirtalso washing stuff, pay dirt
  Placer gravel or earth that contains enough precious metal to be worth processing. Shop talk
• Washing stuffalso washdirt, pay dirt
  An informal term for alluvial deposits containing enough valuable mineral to process. Shop talk
• Washoutalso want
  A channel in a coal seam or orebody where the original deposit was eroded and replaced by barren sediment.
• Wayboard
  A thin band of clay or soft rock separating thicker beds of hard strata.
• Wringalso pinch out
  To narrow down or become barren of valuable minerals along the strike of a vein.
• Xenomorphicalso anhedral, allotriomorphic
  Describing a mineral grain that lacks its typical crystal faces due to restricted growth space.
• Zweikanter
  A wind-polished stone featuring exactly two intersecting curved faces or ridges.

This section explains the techniques used to extract ore and process it into valuable commodities.

• Activator
  A chemical reagent added to an ore slurry to promote the flotation of specific minerals.
• Aromatization
  The chemical process of converting non-aromatic hydrocarbons into aromatic compounds.
• Bar downalso scale
  To manually pry loose rock from the roof, walls, or a jammed chute.
• Barrel process
  An early method of extracting precious metals by tumbling ore with chemical reagents.
• BCMalso bank cubic metre
  Bank cubic meter is a volumetric measurement of rock or soil as it rests in the ground before excavation.
• Beamwork
  An early surface mining method that follows a mineral lode directly downward from its outcrop.
• Beneficiatealso process, concentrate
  To process raw mined ore to improve its grade by removing waste material.
• Cave
  To intentionally collapse the roof of an underground excavation.
• Checkweigh
  To independently verify the mass of extracted material to ensure fair payment.
• Cobbing
  A manual method of rough-sorting ore by breaking it with a hammer.
• Comminution
  The mechanical process of reducing solid ore into smaller particles.
• Costeanalso Costeaning
  A shallow trench dug through soil and loose dirt to expose the underlying bedrock and mineral veins.
• Cropping
  An exposed mineral deposit at the surface that is actively being mined.
• Cyanidation
  A metallurgical process that uses a weak cyanide solution to extract gold and silver from ore.
• Depillaralso pillar extraction, robbing pillars
  To extract the supporting columns of ore or coal left behind during initial mining.
• Depletion
  The physical reduction and economic exhaustion of a mineral reserve through continuous mining.
• Depressant
  A chemical reagent used in froth flotation to prevent certain minerals from floating.
• Dig
  To physically excavate and remove ore or waste material from its natural bed.
• Dilvingalso dilluing
  An historic method of washing tin ore by shaking it in a submerged sieve.
• Dish
  A historic royalty payment made to a landowner based on a portion of the ore extracted.
• Dozen
  A historic unit of weight for extracted iron or lead ore equal to twelve hundredweight.
• Drive
  To excavate a horizontal tunnel or heading underground.
• Facework
  The active extraction and support tasks performed directly at the working face of a mine.
• Fathomage
  A traditional payment system based on the cubic or linear fathoms of rock excavated.
• Fell
  The fine particles of ore that pass through a sizing screen.
• Firealso shoot, blast
  To initiate the detonation of an explosive charge in an underground mine or quarry.
• Firesetting
  An ancient excavation technique using fire to heat and fracture hard rock.
• Flotationalso froth flotation
  A mineral separation method that uses chemical reagents and air bubbles to lift specific target minerals to the surface of a liquid bath.
• Flushalso hydraulic backfill
  To fill empty underground workings with waste material carried in by water.
• Geoengineering
  The engineering discipline focused on designing and building structures within the earth.
• Gob up
  To backfill an empty mine working with waste rock or refuse. Shop talk
• Grubstake
  The supplies or funding provided to a prospector in exchange for a share of their discoveries. Shop talk
• Gumming
  The process of clearing out the fine debris left in the cut after a coal-cutting machine passes. Shop talk
• Haulback
  A contour strip mining method where overburden is placed directly into previously mined cuts.
• Holingalso undercutting
  The process of cutting a slot or groove at the base of a coal seam or ore face to facilitate blasting or breaking.
• Hurryalso put, draw
  To transport broken coal or ore manually from the working face to a main haulage way.
• Hushalso Hushing, booming
  A surface excavation created by releasing a sudden surge of water to strip away soil and expose ore.
• Jadding
  The historic practice of undercutting a seam of coal or stone to prepare it for extraction.
• Jigging
  A gravity separation method that pulses water through a screen to sort crushed ore by density.
• Jud
  A block of coal that has been undercut and is ready to be brought down. Shop talk
• Knobbingalso scabbling
  The preliminary process of knocking irregular bumps and projections off a freshly quarried stone.
• Landsale
  The direct sale of coal from a mine to local customers via road transport.
• Longwall
  An underground coal mining method that extracts a wide panel in a single continuous slice.
• Lue
  To manually sift crushed ore through a sieve to separate valuable minerals from waste rock. Shop talk
• Manriding
  The authorized transport of personnel through underground mine workings using vehicles or conveyors.
• Manwinding
  The specific operation of raising or lowering personnel through a mine shaft using a hoist and cage.
• Match factor
  A metric used to evaluate the efficiency of a loading and hauling fleet.
• Mineral right
  The legal ownership of the underground resources below a tract of land.
• Misrun
  A failed or invalid equipment test during oil and gas drilling operations.
• monton
  A historic Mexican unit of weight used for measuring silver ore.
• MSHA
  The Mine Safety and Health Administration is the federal agency responsible for enforcing safety regulations in United States mines.
• Mucking
  The process of loading and removing blasted rock or ore from a mine working. Shop talk
• Mudcapalso adobe charge, plaster shot
  An unconfined explosive charge covered with mud or clay to break surface boulders.
• Narrow work
  The excavation of tunnels, headings, and tight passages rather than wide production areas.
• Nickingalso shearing, Nickings
  A vertical cut made into the side of a working face to help break the rock or coal free.
• Offtake
  The physical removal of extracted resources from a storage facility or production site.
• Panel
  A specific block or district of a coal seam isolated by solid barrier pillars.
• Pitch
  A designated section of a mine assigned to a specific group of miners working for a share of the ore.
• Pitch mining
  A specialized extraction method used for steeply inclined coal seams.
• Plummingalso dialling
  The traditional surveying practice of using a compass to determine underground alignments.
• Pothole
  A shallow, vertical excavation dug to test for near-surface mineral deposits. Shop talk
• Presplitalso pre-split
  To detonate a line of lightly loaded blast holes to create a fracture plane before the main blast.
• Prospect
  To search a region for commercially viable mineral deposits.
• Recovery
  The percentage of valuable mineral successfully extracted from the mined ore.
• Rejig
  To process ore through a jigging machine for a second time.
• Rockpicking
  The process of manually or mechanically removing waste rock from an ore stream.
• Room and pillaralso bord and pillar, pillar and stall
  An underground mining method where material is extracted across a horizontal plane, leaving blocks of ore to support the roof.
• Saucissealso saucisson
  A historic type of fuse made from a long cloth or leather tube filled with gunpowder.
• Scant
  A block of quarried stone that has been sawn on two sides down to the natural bed level.
• Schlich
  The finely crushed, heavy portion of ore separated by water in traditional wet processing.
• Scram
  To extract the last remaining pockets of ore from a largely depleted mine.
• Shearing
  The process of cutting a vertical slot into a coal face to relieve pressure and aid extraction.
• Shortwall
  A continuous mining method extracting a block of coal along a relatively short working face.
• Shotfiringalso blasting
  The process of loading and detonating explosives to break rock.
• Sink
  To excavate a vertical or steeply inclined shaft downwards.
• Sizealso screen
  To sort crushed rock or ore into different grades based on particle dimensions.
• Skifflingalso knobbing, scabbling
  The rough shaping of stone by knocking off irregular lumps.
• Sleeping table
  A stationary, inclined wooden platform historically used to wash and concentrate crushed ore.
• Spend
  To break ground or make forward progress in a mine heading. Shop talk
• Stope
  To excavate ore from an underground block by driving a series of steps or horizontal cuts.
• Stoping
  The process of extracting ore from an underground orebody, leaving behind an open void.
• Stowingalso backfilling, packing
  The practice of packing waste rock or tailings back into an excavated void to support the mine roof.
• Tailingsalso tails, schlich
  The waste material left over after the valuable minerals have been extracted from ore.
• Tampingalso stemming
  The process of packing material over an explosive charge to direct the blast energy.
• Thirl
  To cut through the final pillar of rock or coal separating two underground workings. Shop talk
• Ticketing
  A method of auctioning mined ore where buyers submit written bids on slips of paper.
• Tossingalso tozing
  A traditional mineral processing technique that separates heavy ore from lighter waste by violent agitation in water.
• Train
  To follow the physical evidence of a mineral deposit back to its source. Shop talk
• Tramble
  To wash and concentrate heavy ores using a specialized frame and shovel.
• Tribute
  A payment system where miners receive a percentage of the ore they extract.
• Triger process
  A shaft-sinking technique using pressurized air to hold back groundwater.
• Tut-work
  A historic contracting system where miners were paid a fixed rate per fathom of rock excavated.
• Tying
  An old mineral processing method where crushed ore is washed in a sloping trough.
• Underburdened
  A blasting condition where the explosive charge is too large for the amount of rock.
• Underhole
  To excavate a deep groove at the bottom of a coal seam to help it fracture.
• Untopping
  The process of removing overburden from an existing underground mine to convert it.
• Vanning
  The manual process of washing crushed ore on a shovel to evaluate its mineral content.
• Wash
  A gravity separation technique that uses flowing water to isolate heavy minerals from lighter waste rock.
• Win
  To successfully extract ore or coal from the ground.
• Witts
  Crushed tin ore that has been separated from waste rock by stamping. Shop talk
• Work out
  To completely extract all economically viable ore or coal from a specific mining area.

This section details the tunnels, shafts, and structural supports that make underground excavation possible.

• Adit
  A horizontal or near-horizontal tunnel driven from the surface into a mountain or hillside to access an ore body.
• Air-headalso airway, windway
  An older term for a horizontal passage driven specifically to establish ventilation in an underground mine.
• Airleave
  A legal easement granting a mining operator the right to vent exhaust air onto adjacent property.
• Airwayalso wind-road
  Any underground gallery, drift, or shaft designated specifically for routing ventilation air through a mine.
• Backalso roof
  The ceiling or roof of a horizontal underground mine opening.
• Bankalso working face
  The exposed face of a coal seam where active extraction takes place.
• Barring
  Heavy timbering installed to support the walls of a mine shaft.
• Barrowalso spoil tip, mullock heap
  A surface heap of waste rock and refuse generated during mining operations.
• Bermalso catch bench, terrace
  A horizontal shelf or terrace cut into the steep wall of an open-pit mine.
• Blind level
  An underground horizontal passage that connects two vertical shafts but does not open to the surface.
• Bordalso board, room
  An underground working place or tunnel driven at right angles to the natural cleavage of the coal seam.
• Bratticealso brattice cloth, line brattice
  A temporary or permanent partition erected underground to direct ventilation airflow.
• Brow
  An underground gallery running parallel to the coal face, or the top edge of a shaft or incline.
• Cage
  The primary elevator car used in vertical mine shafts.
• Canch
  A section of roof or floor rock excavated to increase tunnel height.
• Coalfacealso Coal-face, Coal face
  The advancing boundary of a coal seam that is actively being mined.
• Cockermeg
  A traditional arrangement of pit props used to support the coal face during extraction. Shop talk
• Collaralso Collaring
  The reinforced surface opening of a mine shaft or drill hole.
• Craunch
  A section of unmined rock or ore left in place to support the mine roof. Shop talk
• Crosscut
  A horizontal underground tunnel driven across the main strike of the rock formation.
• Crossheadingalso cut-through
  A short connecting tunnel driven between two parallel headings for ventilation.
• Crut
  A short tunnel driven through barren rock strata to connect coal seams.
• Day level
  A horizontal mine tunnel that opens directly to the surface.
• Dead end
  The blind face or unventilated inner termination of a drift, crosscut, or tunnel.
• Dibholealso sump, lodgement
  The lowest point in an underground mine where groundwater collects for pumping. Shop talk
• Districtalso panel
  A designated section of an underground mine where a specific crew works a defined coal seam.
• Dookalso dip heading
  An underground roadway or heading driven downward along the natural dip of the rock strata.
• Downcast
  A vertical mine shaft that carries fresh air from the surface into the underground workings.
• Drift
  A horizontal or near-horizontal underground passage.
• Drift mine
  An underground mine accessed by a horizontal tunnel from the surface.
• Driftwayalso drift
  A horizontal or near-horizontal underground passage driven along the strike of an ore vein.
• Fang
  A channel or pipe installed to deliver fresh air to working miners. Shop talk
• Fanhouse
  The surface building that encloses the main ventilation fans for an underground mine.
• Foothole
  A small notch cut into the rock to provide a stepping place for miners.
• Fork
  The lowest part of a mine sump where water collects to be pumped out.
• Garlandalso water ring, garland curb
  A gutter ring installed inside a mine shaft to catch and divert groundwater.
• Gingingalso steaning
  The historic practice of lining a mine shaft with dry-stone walling or brickwork.
• Glory hole
  A large, open excavation used to funnel blasted ore into underground workings, or a seafloor pit protecting oil equipment.
• Glutalso lagging, packing
  A wooden wedge or block used to fill empty spaces behind mine supports.
• Goafalso gob
  The empty or caved space left behind in an underground mine after extraction.
• Gobalso goaf, gobbin
  The mined-out area of a coal mine or the compacted waste rock filling it.
• Gobbinalso gob, gobbing
  The loose waste rock and dirt left behind in underground colliery workings.
• Gobbingalso gob, gobbin
  The physical waste material packed into a mined-out space to support the roof.
• Gobline
  The boundary separating the active working area from the caved waste zone.
• Gunniealso gunnies
  An open, excavated space left behind after a mineral vein has been mined out. Shop talk
• Gunniesalso gunnie
  The empty underground spaces left behind after a lode has been entirely mined out. Shop talk
• Gurt
  A drainage ditch cut into the floor of an underground tunnel. Shop talk
• Hatch
  A surface opening or shallow pit dug to access a mine or search for an ore body.
• Haul road
  A heavy-duty, engineered dirt or gravel road built for large mining trucks.
• Headframealso gallows frame, poppet head
  The structural frame above an underground mine shaft that supports the hoisting mechanism.
• Heading
  A horizontal tunnel or gallery being driven into an ore body or coal seam.
• Heapstead
  The surface structure around a mine shaft that supports the screening and loading of coal.
• Highwall
  The unexcavated, nearly vertical face of exposed rock and soil in an open-pit or strip mine.
• Hitch
  A notch or hole cut into the solid rock of a mine tunnel to support a timber.
• Hoistroomalso winder house
  The surface building or underground chamber that houses the winding engine and controls for a shaft conveyance.
• Inset
  A horizontal opening partway down a vertical mine shaft that provides access to intermediate levels.
• Jenkin
  A narrow roadway or excavation driven through a solid pillar of coal.
• Jinny roadalso jinny incline, gravity plane
  An inclined underground track where descending loaded mine cars pull up empty ones via a cable. Shop talk
• Koepealso friction hoist
  A friction hoist system where the winding rope is driven by the grip of a single powered wheel.
• Lacingalso lagging
  Timber or steel cross-pieces installed to prevent loose rock from falling into a mine passage.
• Lathalso spile
  A heavy plank driven ahead of a tunnel face to support loose ground during excavation.
• Lodgealso platt, plat
  A widened space at the intersection of a horizontal mine level and a vertical shaft.
• Loftingalso lagging
  Timber lagging placed over support caps to hold loose roof rock.
• Maingate
  The primary tunnel that delivers fresh intake air and utilities to a longwall face.
• Midfeather
  A historic timber or stone support built down the centerline of a tunnel.
• Millalso ore pass, rock pass
  An underground rock pass used to transfer broken ore to a lower level.
• Nogalso chock block, cog
  A square wooden block used to build support structures for a mine roof. Shop talk
• Outbye
  Moving or located in the direction away from the working face toward the mine entrance. Shop talk
• Overcast
  An enclosed bridge built to allow one ventilation air current to cross over another without mixing.
• Paddock
  An excavated area in a surface deposit, or a designated surface enclosure for storing ore. Shop talk
• Pentice
  A solid pillar or canopy of unexcavated rock left in a shaft to protect workers below.
• Pilotalso pilot hole, pilot tunnel
  A small preliminary tunnel or heading driven before a larger excavation.
• Quarry
  A large surface excavation used to extract building stone, sand, gravel, or aggregate.
• Remblai
  Excavated earth or waste rock used to construct an embankment or fill a void.
• Returnalso return airway
  An underground passage that carries exhausted or contaminated air away from the working face.
• Ridalso rid-work
  The loose surface soil and rubble that must be cleared to expose solid rock in a quarry.
• Roofalso back
  The layer of rock located immediately above an underground excavation or mineral seam.
• Roomalso bord, chamber
  An excavated cavity or chamber in an underground mine where material is extracted.
• Runroundalso run-around, passing loop
  A secondary section of track that allows locomotives to bypass or switch to the other end of a train.
• Shamble
  A stepped platform cut into the side of an open working used for manually relaying ore to the surface.
• Sidetrack
  A secondary wellbore or tunnel drilled away from the original path.
• Skim pitalso skimming pit
  A settling basin used to separate oil from water by gravity.
• Slant
  An underground heading driven diagonally across the dip and strike of a coal seam.
• Sole
  The floor or bottom surface of an underground working area.
• Sollar
  A wooden platform or landing stage built inside a mine shaft.
• Spillalso spile, forepole
  A heavy pole or lath driven horizontally into loose ground ahead of the main timbering.
• Spurn
  A block or pillar of coal deliberately left in place to support an overhanging mass. Shop talk
• Stallalso chamber
  An excavated room or working place cut into a coal seam or ore body.
• Standagealso sump, lodgement
  An underground reservoir or designated area for collecting mine water before pumping.
• Staplealso staple shaft, blind shaft
  A secondary, internal mine shaft that connects different levels without reaching the surface.
• Station
  A widened area in a mine shaft or drift built to handle personnel, equipment, or infrastructure.
• Stempelalso stemple
  A wooden beam or shelf set into a shaft wall for support, stepping, or storing waste.
• Stockpile
  An organized mound of extracted ore or coal waiting for processing or transport.
• Stoppingalso ventilation stopping, bulkhead
  A solid wall or partition built across a mine passage to control ventilation airflow.
• Straddle
  A vertical timber post used to support a horizontal cap in a tunnel set.
• Streamworkalso streamworks, stream-work
  A surface mine where miners extract heavy minerals from alluvial deposits.
• Studdle
  A vertical or inclined timber prop used to support a platform or separate shaft compartments.
• Stull
  A heavy timber prop wedged between the hanging wall and footwall of a stope.
• Stulm
  A horizontal or slightly inclined underground tunnel driven specifically to drain water from a mine.
• Tailgate
  The return airway tunnel in a longwall mining operation.
• Thirling
  A boundary mark used in traditional lead mining to show the end of an allocated working area.
• Thurst
  The crushed and collapsed roof material left behind after pillars are removed in a coal mine.
• Trade
  The worthless rock, debris, and refuse generated during mining operations. Shop talk
• Trapdoor
  A heavy wooden door installed in an underground tunnel to control airflow.
• Trogue
  A wooden channel used to drain water away from underground workings.
• Trumpeting
  A drainage channel constructed behind the masonry lining of a mine shaft.
• Tubbing
  A watertight lining installed in a mine shaft to hold back groundwater and unstable ground.
• Tunnel
  A horizontal underground passage driven through barren rock to access an ore body.
• Turnsheet
  A flat metal plate used at mine track intersections to manually pivot mine cars.
• Undercast
  A ventilation tunnel built to route one airstream safely beneath another.
• Underlayer
  A vertical or steeply inclined mine shaft driven to intersect a dipping ore vein.
• Up-over
  An excavation technique where a vertical shaft is driven upward from a lower level.
• Upcast
  A vertical mine shaft designated for exhausting stale air to the surface.
• Waterleave
  A legal right allowing a miner to use a watercourse for drainage or water supply.
• Wicket
  The excavated space between support pillars in a room-and-pillar mining system.
• Wind roadalso windway, airway
  An underground tunnel designated specifically for routing ventilation air.
• Windwayalso wind road, airway
  A dedicated tunnel or passage used to route ventilation air through a mine.
• Winze
  An internal mine shaft excavated downward from one underground level to a lower one.

This section identifies the heavy vehicles, drills, and processing tools used to break and move solid rock.

• Arcwall machinealso arcwall coalcutter
  A track-mounted or rubber-tired coal cutting machine with a swinging cutter bar.
• Augetalso augette
  A protective tube that houses the fuse or priming train for an explosive charge.
• Banjo
  A round-nosed shovel used by miners for mucking out rock. Shop talk
• Beelinealso detonating cord, det cord
  A specialized explosive fuse designed to burn at a rapid, precise rate. Shop talk
• Bellboxalso fishing bell, overshot
  A bell-shaped recovery tool used to retrieve broken drill rods or equipment from a shaft or borehole.
• Butterfly
  A mechanical safety hook installed above a mine cage to prevent it from being pulled into the headframe sheaves.
• Buzzie
  A lightweight, hand-held pneumatic rock drill used for boring blast holes in tight underground spaces. Shop talk
• Clack door
  A bolted access plate on a dewatering pump that covers the internal check valve.
• Concentrator
  A facility or machine that separates valuable minerals from waste rock.
• Corf
  A large, traditional basket made of hazel or wicker used to haul coal out of early mines.
• Cow
  A heavy trailing bar or wedge used as a safety brake to prevent mining cars from rolling backward down an incline. Shop talk
• Dan
  A small, traditional sledge or tub used to manually haul coal underground. Shop talk
• Davy lamp
  An early safety lamp designed to prevent explosions in gassy coal mines.
• Dog-belt
  A heavy leather harness worn around the waist to drag sleds of coal through low underground passages.
• Dramalso tram, tub
  A small, wheeled cart or tram historically used to transport coal from the working face to the shaft.
• Dresser
  A specialized hand tool used to break and shape large blocks of coal.
• Drive unit
  The motor and mechanical assembly that powers a conveyor system.
• Dry blower
  A mechanical device that uses forced air to separate heavy minerals from dry dirt.
• Finger grip
  A specialized fishing tool used to retrieve dropped rods from a borehole.
• Flint mill
  A historic mechanical lighting device that used sparks to illuminate gaseous mines.
• Frue vanner
  A mechanical shaking belt used to separate fine heavy ore particles from lighter waste.
• Funnel box
  A tapered wooden or metal vessel used to settle out fine ore particles from a water slurry.
• Fuzealso fuse
  An initiating device used to detonate an explosive charge.
• Gadder
  A specialized drilling machine used to cut lines of holes in dimension stone quarries.
• Galamander
  A specialized heavy-duty wagon equipped with a derrick for hauling large stone blocks.
• Geordie lamp
  A historic safety lamp designed by George Stephenson for use in flammable coal mines.
• Ginalso horse gin, whim
  A historic vertical hoisting drum used to raise ore, coal, or workers from a shaft.
• Grizzlyalso grizzly screen, grizzly bar
  A heavy-duty steel grid used to scalp oversized rocks from the ore stream.
• Haul truckalso dump truck, rock truck
  A massive, off-highway dump truck used to transport ore and waste rock.
• Hogger pump
  An older term for the uppermost pump in a mine shaft's dewatering system.
• Hudge
  A historic bucket or iron tub used to hoist coal or ore up a mine shaft. Shop talk
• Hutch
  A compartment or box in an ore-dressing machine where heavy minerals settle out of the crushed rock.
• Jackanapes
  A small guide pulley used to keep hoisting ropes aligned when lifting materials from a mine.
• Jig
  A mechanical device that separates crushed ore from waste rock using pulsating water.
• Keevealso kieve
  A large tub or vat used to separate fine ore particles by settling them in water.
• Knockstonealso bucking stone
  A heavy anvil or flat rock block used as a base for manually crushing lumps of ore.
• Launder
  An inclined trough or channel used to transport water, slurry, or crushed ore by gravity.
• Log
  A safety block attached to a hoisting rope to prevent over-travel.
• Long Tom
  A historic inclined wooden trough used to wash placer gold from gravel.
• Mantrip
  A specialized vehicle or train used to transport miners between the surface and underground work areas.
• Maundril
  A specialized, two-pronged hand pick used historically by miners for prying rock or coal. Shop talk
• Mine caralso tub, tram
  A rail vehicle used to transport broken rock or supplies underground.
• Miner's mossalso sluice carpet, nomad matting
  A woven vinyl matting used in sluice boxes to trap fine gold particles. Shop talk
• Overcutter
  A mining machine designed to cut a horizontal slot along the top of a coal seam.
• Permissible
  Certified as safe to operate in underground environments where explosive gases or dust may be present.
• Pitwork
  The heavy pumping machinery and associated pipework used to keep a mine dry.
• Power shovelalso Electric cable shovel, Rope shovel
  A massive, bucket-equipped excavation machine used to load fragmented rock and ore into haul trucks.
• Pulsator
  A mechanical jigging machine used to separate heavy minerals from lighter waste.
• Quarry car
  A rail-mounted vehicle used to transport extracted stone or waste out of a quarry.
• Rapper
  A mechanical signaling device used to communicate between the shaft bottom and the surface.
• Riffle
  A raised cleat or groove in a sluice box designed to trap heavy precious metals.
• Rockpicker
  A machine or worker tasked with removing large, barren rocks from an ore stream.
• Rolleyalso rolly
  A historic wheeled flatbed or wagon used to transport coal or ore underground.
• Rollyalso rolley
  A historic horse-drawn cart used to transport coal or ore underground.
• Roofboltalso rock bolt, roof bolt
  A long steel rod anchored into the ceiling of an underground excavation to prevent rockfalls.
• Roofbolteralso bolter, pinning machine
  A specialized mobile machine used to drill holes and install support bolts in mine ceilings.
• Shieldalso chock, powered roof support
  A heavy, hydraulically powered steel canopy that supports the mine roof over the working face.
• Skip
  A guided hoist container used to lift ore or waste rock out of a mine shaft.
• Sluicealso sluice box
  An artificial channel or trough used to separate heavy minerals from lighter dirt using flowing water.
• Smallman clip
  A mechanical clamp used to attach coal tubs to a continuously moving haulage rope.
• Soam
  A short rope or chain used historically to pull coal trams through narrow mine workings.
• Spake
  A specialized rail wagon used to transport miners underground.
• Spire
  A traditional tube or fuse used to carry a flame to a blasting charge. Shop talk
• Stoperalso stoper drill, widowmaker
  A pneumatic rock drill designed to bore holes straight up into the roof of a mine.
• Sylvesteralso prop-drawer
  A manual ratchet-and-lever hoist used to safely pull out temporary roof supports.
• Trimmer
  A mechanical device used to evenly distribute and stack bulk materials like coal.
• Trommel
  A rotating cylindrical screen used to sort crushed ore or aggregate by size.
• Trunk
  A wooden flume or sluice box used to wash fine ores and separate them from waste mud.
• Tub
  An open-topped container or small rail car used to hoist mined material up a shaft.
• Tug
  The heavy iron hook or attachment point on a hoisting container.
• Undercutter
  A mechanized coal-cutting machine that slices a horizontal slot at the base of a seam.
• Van
  A specialized shovel used to wash and separate crushed ore by hand.
• Whimalso whim-gin, horse whim
  A large, animal-powered capstan used to hoist ore and water from early mine shafts.
• Winderalso hoist
  A heavy-duty winch or engine used to raise and lower cages and skips in a mine shaft.

This section defines the dangerous gases, unstable ground conditions, and physical risks encountered underground.

• Afterdamp
  The deadly mixture of toxic and suffocating gases left in a coal mine following an explosion.
• Blower
  A geological fissure in a coal mine that continuously emits explosive methane gas.
• Bump
  A violent, sudden release of stress in underground rock strata that causes a physical shockwave.
• Case
  A small geological fissure that leaks water into mine workings.
• Cauldron bottom
  A heavy, bell-shaped mass of rock prone to falling from a coal mine roof. Shop talk
• Chokedampalso blackdamp
  A dense, suffocating mixture of carbon dioxide and nitrogen that pools in low mine workings.
• Damp
  A historic classification for hazardous mine gases that displace oxygen or cause explosions.
• Dudalso misfire
  An explosive charge that fails to detonate after being initiated during blasting operations. Shop talk
• Firedampalso methane
  A highly flammable mixture of methane gas and air found in coal mines.
• Kettle bottomalso cauldron bottom, bell
  A heavy, cylindrical fossilized tree stump hidden in a coal mine roof that can fall without warning. Shop talk
• Netheralso trouble
  A geological fault or dislocation that disrupts a continuous coal seam. Shop talk
• Pitfallalso sinkhole, crown hole
  A surface collapse caused by the caving of underground mine workings.
• Showalso cap, bluecap
  A visual indication of dangerous gas in a traditional safety lamp. Shop talk
• Sitalso weighting, squeeze
  A localized collapse or heavy settling of the mine roof. Shop talk
• Slackline
  A dangerous condition where a hoisting rope loses tension and hangs loosely in the shaft.
• Squeezealso creep, weighting
  The gradual closing in of mine workings caused by the immense weight of the overlying rock.
• Stankalso seal
  To build an airtight seal or dam to isolate an underground fire or flood. Shop talk
• Swallet
  A sudden, dangerous inrush of underground water into mine workings. Shop talk
• Tightsalso tight rock
  Sections of solid rock that fail to break during a blast and remain stuck in the designed excavation profile. Shop talk
• Trouble
  A geological disruption such as a fault or washout that interrupts a coal seam or ore body. Shop talk

This section outlines the specific job titles and specialized roles held by workers on a mining crew.

• Back-overman
  A historic supervisory role for the afternoon or evening shift in a coal mine.
• Bailiff
  A title for the foreman or overman in charge of a mining operation.
• Bandsman
  A historic term for a laborer who loaded coal alongside a specific crew.
• Barrowmanalso putter, hurrier
  An underground worker responsible for pushing tubs or carts of extracted material.
• Bottomer
  A mine worker stationed at the bottom of a shaft to manage the loading of cages.
• Bratticeralso bratticeman
  A specialized mine worker responsible for installing and maintaining ventilation partitions.
• Browman
  The surface worker stationed at the top of a mine shaft to manage the loading and unloading of cages.
• Brusher
  A worker assigned to excavate the roof or floor of an underground roadway to increase clearance.
• Burghmaster
  A historic mining official responsible for surveying and enforcing the boundaries of mineral claims.
• Buscon
  A traditional prospector or freelance miner who searches for undiscovered ore deposits. Shop talk
• Buttocker
  A coal miner who works at the ends or corners of a longwall extraction face. Shop talk
• Butty
  An independent contractor who agrees to extract coal or ore for a fixed price per ton.
• Bye-workman
  An underground mine laborer who performs secondary support tasks.
• Cager
  The worker who controls loading and unloading at a shaft landing.
• Caver
  A historic mining occupation focused on extracting leftover ore from mine tailings.
• Chartermaster
  A historic contractor who leased and managed a specific section of a mine.
• Check viewer
  An inspector hired by a mineral rights owner to monitor a leased mining operation.
• Check weigher
  A representative elected by miners to verify the weight of extracted ore or coal.
• Clearer
  A laborer who removes waste rock and debris from the working face or haulage drifts.
• Corporal
  A historic underground supervisor responsible for overseeing the haulage routes and the workers moving the coal. Shop talk
• Corver
  A specialized craftsman who wove and repaired the heavy wicker baskets used to haul coal.
• Craneman
  A historic mining job where a young worker operated a small underground crane. Shop talk
• Deputyalso fireboss
  A supervisory coal miner responsible for the safety, ventilation, and roof support of a specific district.
• Draweralso putter, hurrier
  A mineworker whose job was to manually push or drag loaded coal tubs from the face to the main haulageway.
• Drifter
  A miner who specializes in excavating horizontal tunnels through hard rock.
• Farmee
  A company or individual that earns an interest in a lease by performing specified work.
• Farmer
  A historic mining official who leased the right to collect mineral royalties.
• Farmor
  An entity that holds a mineral or oil lease and assigns a portion of it to another party for development.
• Fettleralso ostler
  A historic mine worker responsible for tending to the pit ponies. Shop talk
• FIFO
  Fly-in, fly-out employment where workers travel to remote mine sites for rostered shifts.
• Fire damperalso penitent
  A historic mine worker who deliberately ignited methane gas pockets to clear them.
• Flat lad
  A historic worker who managed the loading and movement of tubs on a horizontal mine level. Shop talk
• Foal
  A historic term for a young boy who assisted older workers in moving coal tubs. Shop talk
• Fore-overman
  A senior underground supervisor who oversees the work of other overmen.
• Gang-rideralso trip rider
  A miner who travels with and manages a train of underground haulage cars.
• Gatewayman
  A worker responsible for maintaining the access tunnels leading to the coal face.
• Getteralso hewer
  A historic coal miner whose primary job was to cut and break the coal from the face.
• Grizzlyman
  A mine worker responsible for tending the grizzly screen and clearing jams. Shop talk
• Ground bailiff
  A historic title for the general superintendent overseeing multiple mines or a large colliery.
• Half-marrow
  A historic term for a young boy paired with another to do the work of one adult cart-pusher. Shop talk
• Haulieralso trammer
  A worker responsible for transporting extracted coal or ore from the working face to the main hoisting shaft.
• Headsmanalso Hod boy
  A historic coal mining term for a laborer who transported coal from the working face to the main haulage road. Shop talk
• Helper-up
  A historic mining term for a young worker stationed at steep sections to help push coal tubs. Shop talk
• Hoistmanalso winder, winding engineman
  The operator responsible for running the winding engine that raises and lowers cages in a mine shaft.
• Hurrieralso putter, drawer
  A historic occupation for a person who dragged tubs of coal from the working face to the shaft.
• Inclineman
  A mine worker responsible for operating and maintaining the haulage system on a sloped underground roadway.
• Lampkeeperalso lampman
  The surface worker responsible for maintaining, issuing, and collecting miners' safety lamps.
• Landeralso banksman
  A surface worker stationed at the top of a mine shaft to receive hoisted ore and materials.
• Lurryman
  A worker responsible for moving low-slung transport carts underground. Shop talk
• Metalman
  A historic mine worker responsible for blasting or ripping the rock roof to increase clearance. Shop talk
• Mullockeralso mucker
  A mine worker whose job is to shovel and clear waste rock. Shop talk
• Noodleralso fossicker, specker
  A person who searches through mine waste dumps for overlooked gems or minerals. Shop talk
• Oncostmanalso dataler, day-wage man
  A historic mine worker paid a fixed daily wage rather than by the amount of coal extracted. Shop talk
• Onsetteralso bottomer, cager
  The worker stationed at the bottom of a mine shaft who loads and unloads the hoisting cage. Shop talk
• Operator
  The company or entity responsible for the daily management and working of a mine or oilfield.
• Outcropper
  A miner who extracts coal or ore directly from surface exposures. Shop talk
• Patcher
  A junior worker who assists equipment drivers and performs manual tasks around the mine. Shop talk
• Pit boss
  A frontline supervisor who oversees the daily labor and production in a mine. Shop talk
• Pitwright
  A specialized carpenter or engineer who builds and maintains structural woodwork in a mine.
• Pony putter
  A historic mine worker who drove ponies pulling coal tubs underground. Shop talk
• Putteralso hurrier, drawer
  A historic mine worker who pushed loaded coal tubs from the face to the main haulage road.
• Roustaboutalso leasehand
  A general laborer on an oil rig or pipeline who performs manual tasks and heavy maintenance.
• Scoop driveralso scoop operator
  A miner who operates a low-profile loader to move blasted rock or coal underground.
• Screeneralso screenman
  A surface worker who operates or monitors the mechanical screens that size and clean extracted coal.
• Screenmanalso screener
  A worker responsible for sizing coal and removing impurities at the surface screens.
• Shackler
  A worker responsible for connecting and disconnecting mine cars or tubs in an underground haulage system.
• Shifter
  A mine worker responsible for repairing haulage roads, clearing debris, and maintaining ventilation pathways.
• Shotfireralso blaster, powderman
  A certified worker responsible for loading explosives into drill holes and initiating the blast.
• Skipman
  The underground worker responsible for loading ore or waste into the hoisting skip.
• Small leader
  A historic role for a young boy employed to haul small pieces of coal in a mine.
• Smasher
  A worker whose job is to break up large pieces of waste rock.
• Stallmanalso contractor
  A contractor or lead miner responsible for working a specific stall in a coal mine. Shop talk
• Stonemanalso rockman, Crutter
  A specialized miner tasked with excavating through hard rock rather than the coal seam.
• Streamer
  A traditional prospector or miner who extracts tin ore from alluvial river deposits.
• Sumpman
  A historic mining worker responsible for maintaining the pumps and machinery in a shaft sump.
• Surfacemanalso topman
  A mine worker whose duties are entirely above ground.
• Switch keeperalso pointsman
  A worker who operates the track switches on an underground mine railway.
• Taker-off
  A historic mine worker who unhooked coal wagons at the bottom of an incline. Shop talk
• Timber drawer
  A specialized miner tasked with safely removing wooden support props to allow the roof to collapse.
• Timberman
  A skilled underground worker responsible for cutting, fitting, and installing wooden structural supports.
• Trap
  To manually operate a ventilation door in an underground mine. Shop talk
• Trapper
  A historic mine worker assigned to manually operate ventilation doors.
• Tributeralso tributor
  An independent miner who works a section of a mine for a share of the ore's value.
• Tributoralso tributer
  An alternative spelling for a contract miner paid by a share of the ore extracted.
• Underlooker
  An underground supervisor responsible for inspecting the daily workings of a mine. Shop talk
• Underviewer
  An assistant manager who directs a colliery when the chief manager is absent. Shop talk
• Viewer
  The chief manager or engineer of a colliery who oversees all operations and ventilation plans.
• Wagoner
  A traditional worker who pushed or drove loaded mine cars from the face to the shaft.
• Wailer
  A historic colliery worker employed to pick rocks and impurities out of screened coal.
• Washeryman
  A worker who operates or maintains equipment in a coal preparation plant.
• Wasteman
  A historic colliery worker tasked with inspecting and maintaining the abandoned areas of a mine.
• Water leader
  A historic mine worker tasked with removing standing water from underground haulage roads.
• Way-cleaner
  A worker responsible for clearing debris and coal dust from underground rail tracks.
• Winzeman
  A miner responsible for operating or maintaining an internal vertical or inclined shaft.
• Wood leader
  A worker responsible for transporting timber supports to active mining faces.

This section translates the informal nicknames and traditional jargon spoken by crews on the job site.

• Bluecap
  A mythical mine spirit believed to help underground workers by moving heavy tubs. Shop talk
• Borrasca
  A mining claim or operation that has become unprofitable or exhausted of ore. Shop talk
• Claggy
  Describing a sticky coal seam that does not separate cleanly from the surrounding rock. Shop talk
• Color
  Visible flakes or specks of gold found while prospecting. Shop talk
• Croustalso crib
  A traditional Cornish mining term for a mid-shift meal break. Shop talk
• Cuddy
  A traditional nickname for a pit pony working underground. Shop talk
• Dogholealso doghole mine
  A very small, often marginal underground mine worked by a tiny crew. Shop talk
• Dudley
  A traditional metal canteen used by underground miners to carry drinking water. Shop talk
• Fubarite
  A highly altered or crushed rock whose original composition is impossible to identify. Shop talk
• Get to grass
  To evacuate an underground mine and reach the surface. Shop talk
• Jeweller's shop
  An exceptionally rich pocket of precious metal or high-grade gemstones. Shop talk
• Marrowalso half-marrow
  A traditional term for a miner's work partner or close mate on a shift. Shop talk
• Metal
  A traditional mining term for the rock surrounding an orebody, or any hard rock encountered underground. Shop talk
• Pardalso partner
  A traditional term for a miner's workmate or partner. Shop talk
• Powerful
  An informal description of a thick, highly productive, or expansive ore vein. Shop talk
• Quick
  Describes a vein or section of ground that contains valuable ore. Shop talk
• Salt
  To secretly add valuable minerals to a barren ore sample or mine face to deceive buyers. Shop talk
• Slocking stone
  A high-grade ore sample used historically to lure investors into funding a dubious mine. Shop talk
• Snap timealso snap
  A designated break period during a mining shift for eating a meal. Shop talk
• Snap tin
  A durable metal container used by underground miners to carry their food. Shop talk
• Sturt
  A highly profitable contract or patch of ore discovered by a miner working on a percentage system. Shop talk