mineworker

IPA/ˈmaɪnwɜːkə(r)/
KK[mˈaɪnwˌɚkɚ]IPA/ˈmaɪnwɜːrkər/

mineworker — noun

1. someone employed in a mine to dig, move, or support the removal of coal, metal,

1.nounB2
Definition

someone employed in a mine to dig, move, or support the removal of coal, metal, or stone.

Example

Hamza became a mineworker after the steel plant in his village closed.

pattern: become a mineworker

Before dawn, the mineworker checked his helmet lamp beside the lift.

scene: safety gear before a shift

Common collocations
  • experienced mineworker
  • retired mineworker
  • injured mineworker
  • former mineworker
  • work as a mineworker
Synonyms
  • miner

    more common everyday word for a person who works underground in a mine

  • laborer

    broader term for a manual worker; it does not specifically mean work at a mine

  • worker

    much broader; can mean a person in any kind of job

Grammar Patterns

work as a mineworker

become a mineworker

retired mineworker

mineworkers + go underground

Usage Note

Often used in reports or formal descriptions as a general job label. In everyday speech, 'miner' is more common, while 'mineworker' can cover different kinds of workers at the mine, not only the person cutting coal or rock.

Common Mistakes

Her father is a mineworker in a car factory.
Her father is a factory worker in a car factory.
a mineworker works at a mine, not just in any industrial job.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

'Mineworker' is a fairly formal general label for someone employed at a mine. In everyday English, 'miner' is usually the more common word, especially when people picture someone working underground to dig out coal, metal, or stone. 'Laborer' is broader and only tells you that the work is physical; it does not show where the job is done. 'Worker' is broader still and could describe almost any job. Use 'mineworker' when the setting of the mine matters but the person's exact task is not the main point. For example, a report may say several mineworkers were rescued after an accident, while a family story may simply say someone's grandfather was a miner.

mineworker ↗miner ↗laborer ↗worker ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • work as a mineworker
  • become a mineworker
  • retired mineworker
  • former mineworker

Etymology

English

Mineworker is a modern English compound built from 'mine' and 'worker'. It means a worker whose job is connected with a mine, especially one involved in getting coal, metal, or stone out of the ground.