In historic and regional mining contexts, metal does not just refer to metallic elements; it is often used as a catch-all term for the hard, barren country rock or shale that encloses a coal seam or mineral vein. Miners working in coal might refer to the roof rock as metal, distinguishing the hard, non-combustible strata from the soft coal they are extracting.
Heard on the job
We hit a thick band of solid metal just past the fault line, so drilling is going to slow down.
Do not mix it up with
- Metalliferous: Metal in old mining slang refers to barren rock, whereas metalliferous refers to rock actually containing metallic elements.