Word of the Day 8 September 2026

tailings

The waste that remains after the minerals have been extracted from an ore by ore dressing; the waste from coal mining.

Why this one

Managing them is one of the largest long-term liabilities in the extraction industry, and the problem outlasts the mine by decades.

In use

We've had the survey crew out on the tailings dam all week checking the freeboard after that rain.

Written by our editors to show how the term is used, not a recorded quotation.

Sources