strip-mine

[ strip-mahyn ]

verb (used with or without object)

, strip-mined, strip-min·ing.

1. to excavate by open-cut methods.

strip mine

/ strĭp /

1. An open mine, especially a coal mine, whose seams or outcrops run close to ground level and are exposed by the removal of overlying soil and rock. Strip mining can extract coal covered by as much as 60 m (200 ft) of rock and soil. If the seams roll through hills instead of lying flat, a series of tiers or contours are used to extract the coal or ore. Strip mining has been criticized for being ecologically destructive and for causing pollution of water resources, as the removed soil and rock are often dumped in lower-lying areas. Mining operators are sometimes required to restore soil and vegetation and to clean up the mining site.

Other Words From

• strip mine noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of strip-mine¹

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

Right-wing governors and legislatures in many states, including Florida, Texas and Tennessee, have attempted to strip-mine universities, often by eliminating diversity, equity and Inclusion programs, prohibiting instruction in topics related to race and gender, and even threatening to deny loans to students who want to major in an “impractical” discipline.

From Salon

If making modern batteries requires us to strip-mine the ocean for ingredients, shouldn’t science assess in advance what toll that might take on an ecosystem we just found out about?

From Seattle Times

“It is a disappointment to see valuable biological, cultural and visual resources sacrificed for a strip-mine that has been greenwashed to be good for the environment,” said Kevin Emmerich, co-founder of Basin and Range Watch.

From Seattle Times

If it all sounds a bit familiar—higher rates for hit-or-miss service, a captive customer base, reduced headcount, investment taking a back seat to investor profits—it’s because it’s much the same model that hedge funds have used to strip-mine local newspapers.

From Slate

A proposal to strip-mine for titanium would have received strict scrutiny under the Obama-era standards, and some federal officials and environmental groups raised concerns about its potential impacts.

From Washington Post