Coalpit

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A deep excavation in the ground from which coal is dug out and removed
2. An underground mine worked for the extraction and removal of coal deposits
3. A pit or shaft sunk into the earth to extract coal as fuel or raw material

Etymology: Coalpit is a plain compound: "coal" joined to "pit," a hole dug into the ground. Its ancestor appeared in Middle English as "colpit," which was itself drawn from the Old English "colpytt," so the word has been describing a dug coal mine for centuries, long before "coal" meant anything more than a glowing ember or charred fuel. In practice, the two parts still say exactly what they mean, and the word has changed very little since its earliest recorded form.

Synonyms: coal mine, colliery