Colliery - Meaning, Definition & English Examples
A colliery is a coal mine and the buildings and equipment associated with it. The term is often used to describe the entire facility where coal is extracted and processed.
Definition:
A coal mine and its associated buildings and equipment.
Synonyms:
coal mine, pit, mine, diggings
Part of Speech:
noun
Antonyms:
surface mine, open-pit mine
Common Collocations:
colliery worker, colliery explosion, colliery closure, colliery town
Derivatives:
collier, colliers
Usage Tips:
Use "colliery" to refer specifically to a coal-mining facility, not other types of mines.
Common Phrases:
down the colliery, colliery disaster, old colliery site
Etymology:
Derived from Middle English "colier," meaning coal miner, influenced by Old French "colier."
Examples:
- 1. The old colliery closed after decades of operation.
- 2. Many families relied on the local colliery for jobs.
- 3. The abandoned colliery is now a historical landmark.
- 4. A fire broke out in the colliery last night.