the act of extracting ores or coal etc from the earth
"After years of working in copper mining, Sarah finally decided to return home and start a new chapter away from the dust and noise."
laying explosive mines in concealed places to destroy enemy personnel and equipment
"The artillery unit spent hours carefully burying explosives along the riverbank before withdrawing into the forest."
The activity of removing solid valuables from the earth.
"The local community has been protesting against the new mining operations that are threatening to destabilize the mountain range."
In plain English: Mining is the process of digging into the earth to find and take out valuable materials like gold, coal, or oil.
"The town's economy relies heavily on mining for copper and gold."
Usage: Mining refers to the physical process of extracting valuable minerals or resources from the ground, such as coal, gold, or iron ore. As a noun, it describes the industry or specific operation itself rather than the tools used or the people involved in the work.
present participle of mine
"The company is currently mining for new investment opportunities to expand their operations next year."
In plain English: Mining means digging up valuable materials from underground to get them out of the earth.
"The company is mining copper from the deep earth."
Usage: Use "mining" to describe the active process of extracting minerals or valuable resources from the earth. Avoid using it metaphorically for searching online unless referring specifically to data mining.
Derived from the Old French mine (pit, shaft), which comes from the Latin mina (a measure of weight or mine). The original meaning referred to an underground excavation for extracting minerals.