seam
12
6.3
- noun
- /siːm/
- Specialized
:
capa
- About 100 feet into one horizontal shaft, we found a good seam of galena (lead sulfide).
- coal seam
Examples
-
Aside from other issues, fracking coal seams may make the seam unminable by underground methods.
Blog text (14) -
After exhausting one seam, it might take ten years to tunnel through to the next.
Academic text (2009) -
We have found a seam of coal that is so wide you could drive...
-
"They've got thousands and thousands of acres of a good coal seam."
Academic text (2004) -
The miners discovered a rich seam of coal deep underground, promising a significant yield for their efforts.
-
They worked tirelessly to extract the valuable resources from a large seam of ore they found in the mine.
-
Environmental studies indicate that the coal seam could provide enough fuel for the region for decades.
Synonyms
128
5.2
The bottom layer of earth or rock that supports a road
20
9.1
A rich vein of metal ore in the ground
7
4.9
A layer of coal under the ground between rock layers
Compounds
- Specialized
A seam made by folding fabric edges under and sewing them so the edges do not come apart
How Thick
Surface Forms
Etymology
The word seam used for a layer of coal or ore comes from the same idea of a 'layer' or 'join' in the ground, as miners thought of a long band of useful material like a stitched line. So a coal or ore seam is a thick layer underground that can be mined.