mining

Taking valuable materials, such as coal or gold, out of the ground.

• Coal mining was once common here.
• The village grew wealthy through gold mining.
• Mining has damaged the nearby river.

Similar words: extraction

Common phrases: coal mining, gold mining, mining industry

Using computers to check digital currency payments and earn new coins by solving difficult calculations.

• Bitcoin mining uses powerful computers.
• Electricity costs made cryptocurrency mining less profitable.
• They bought new hardware for mining.

Common phrases: bitcoin mining, cryptocurrency mining, mining equipment

Searching deeply through something to take out useful information or other valuable things.

• Data mining revealed a clear pattern.
• Text mining helped us find common topics in the letters.
• His mining for positive results ignored much of the evidence.

How to use it: mining for something (The report describes their mining for useful information in old records.)

Similar words: extraction

Common phrases: data mining, text mining, mining for information

Placing hidden bombs on land or in water to damage people, vehicles, or ships.

• Mining made the harbour dangerous.
• The army’s mining of roads delayed the enemy.
• Naval mining prevented ships from entering the bay.

Similar words: minelaying

Common phrases: naval mining, mining operations, mining of roads