placer

/'pleisə/

Thân thiện

A miner pans for gold in a placer deposit.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A natural deposit of sand, gravel, or similar material containing valuable minerals, especially gold or gemstones, that can be extracted by washing or sifting: A "placer" is a type of alluvial deposit formed by the action of water, where dense, valuable particles have been concentrated.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • Prospectors discovered a rich gold placer in the riverbed. (Prospectors discovered a rich gold placer in the riverbed.)
  • The mining company specializes in extracting diamonds from placer deposits. (The mining company specializes in extracting diamonds from placer deposits.)

Advanced Usage

• "Placer mining": A specific mining method for extracting minerals from placer deposits by washing or dredging.
  • Placer mining was responsible for several gold rushes in the 19th century. (Placer mining was responsible for several gold rushes in the 19th century.)

Variants and Related Words

• Placer claim (n): A legal mining claim on a placer deposit.
  • He filed a placer claim for the area along the creek. (He filed a placer claim for the area along the creek.)

Synonyms

• Alluvial deposit: A general term for sediment deposited by flowing water, which may contain valuable minerals.
• Deposit: A more general term for a natural accumulation of a mineral or ore.

Related Phrases

• To work a placer: To engage in mining a placer deposit.
  • They spent the summer working a small placer in the mountains. (They spent the summer working a small placer in the mountains.)

Học thuật

Noun

1. an alluvial deposit that contains particles of some valuable mineral