open-pit

American  

[oh-puhn-pit] / ˈoʊ pənˌpɪt /

adjective

Mining.

1. noting or pertaining to a type of surface mining in which massive, usually metallic mineral deposits are removed by cutting benches in the walls of a broad, deep funnel-shaped excavation.

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Etymology

Origin of open-pit

First recorded in 1910–15

Example Sentences

Rainforest is clear-cut to make way for open-pit mines.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 25, 2026

It plans to use underground extraction and crushing -- as opposed to an open-pit mine -- and re-inject a large part of the mining residue.

From Barron's • Dec. 20, 2025

Giant trucks the size of townhouses, capable of hauling 300 tonnes, criss-cross red-earth roads in various sections of this open-pit mine complex.

From BBC • Nov. 7, 2024

Soon, I saw what has drawn so many to Clifton over the last 150 years: one of the world’s largest open-pit copper mines.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 16, 2024

Rock and dirt slides of all kinds, met with in open-pit mining, canals, and other excavations, present engineering problems with a geologic basis.

From The Economic Aspect of Geology by Leith, C. K. (Charles Kenneth)