miner
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
a person who works underground to get coal, gold, or other minerals out of the earth.
a person whose occupation is the extraction of minerals, coal, or other geological materials from the earth.
Simple“The coal miner returned home tired and covered in dust after his shift.”
In context“Historically, the local economy relied almost entirely on the wages earned by the miners working the deep seams of anthracite.”
PitfallThe law protects the rights of every miner under 18. The law protects the rights of every minor under 18.Do not confuse 'miner' (a worker) with 'minor' (a person under the legal age).
Synonymscolliery workerextractor - 02 C1 Advanced
a person or a powerful computer that processes digital transactions to earn new cryptocurrency.
a person or a computer system that performs complex calculations to verify transactions and mint new units of cryptocurrency.
Simple“He set up a powerful computer in his basement to act as a bitcoin miner.”
In context“As the difficulty of the algorithm increased, individual miners found it nearly impossible to compete with large-scale server farms.”
Teacher's tipThis sense is relatively new; ensure students understand it refers to both the person and the hardware itself.
- 03 C2 Proficiency
a soldier who works with landmines or other explosives.
a military specialist responsible for the placement, maintenance, or detonation of explosive mines.
Simple“The combat miner carefully cleared a path through the dangerous field.”
In context“The unit included a specialist miner trained to breach fortified walls using controlled explosive charges.”
Teacher's tipIn modern military contexts, 'sapper' is often more common, but 'miner' remains technically accurate for this role.
Synonymssapper