# miner

/ˈmaɪnɝ/ (US) · /mˈaɪnɐ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/miner
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. worker in a mine

noun · CEFR B2

a person who works underground to get coal, gold, or other minerals out of the earth.

For teachers: a person whose occupation is the extraction of minerals, coal, or other geological materials from the earth.

- The coal miner returned home tired and covered in dust after his shift.
- Historically, the local economy relied almost entirely on the wages earned by the miners working the deep seams of anthracite.

### 2. cryptocurrency

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

a person or a powerful computer that processes digital transactions to earn new cryptocurrency.

For teachers: a person or a computer system that performs complex calculations to verify transactions and mint new units of cryptocurrency.

- He set up a powerful computer in his basement to act as a bitcoin miner.
- As the difficulty of the algorithm increased, individual miners found it nearly impossible to compete with large-scale server farms.

Teaching tip: This sense is relatively new; ensure students understand it refers to both the person and the hardware itself.

### 3. explosives expert

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

a soldier who works with landmines or other explosives.

For teachers: a military specialist responsible for the placement, maintenance, or detonation of explosive mines.

- The combat miner carefully cleared a path through the dangerous field.
- The unit included a specialist miner trained to breach fortified walls using controlled explosive charges.

Teaching tip: In modern military contexts, 'sapper' is often more common, but 'miner' remains technically accurate for this role.

## Examples

- The miner wears a hard hat with a bright light.
- After the shift ended, the coal miner emerged from the elevator covered in dark dust but smiling.
- Historically, miners faced significant health risks from inhaling fine particulates, leading to the implementation of modern ventilation systems and strict safety protocols in the industry.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.