A miner who works surface seams where the mineral deposit breaks through the topsoil or bedrock. These operators typically use small-scale or manual excavation methods rather than sinking shafts or driving deep adits. Historically, this was often the first stage of mining in a new district before the shallow reserves were exhausted and underground work became necessary.
Heard on the job
The outcroppers stripped the easy coal from the hillside before the main company sank the deep shaft.