overmine

verb

over·​mine ˌō-vər-ˈmīn How to pronounce overmine (audio)
overmined; overmining

transitive + intransitive

: to mine (an area or resource) excessively and often to depletion
overmining a mineral
an overmined region
overmined quarries
Still not satisfied, in the mid-1970s Consolidated Diamond Mines began to overmine in order to extract as much as possible as a hedge against the uncertainties of independence.Denis Herbstein and John A. Evenson

Word History

First Known Use

1897, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of overmine was in 1897

Dictionary Entries Near overmine

Cite this Entry

“Overmine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overmine. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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