noun

tailings

Tailings (noun) means the waste material left over after valuable minerals have been extracted from ore during mining. Example: “The old mine left behind huge piles of toxic tailings.”

noun

The waste material left over after valuable minerals have been extracted from ore during mining.

"The old mine left behind huge piles of toxic tailings."

"Engineers built a dam to contain the mining tailings."

The lower-quality remnants of a distillation or milling process.

"The tailings from the distillation contained mostly impurities."

How to use tailings

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishThe leftover waste material from mining, milling, or distilling — what's left once the valuable part has been removed.

Common pairings

mine tailings tailings pond tailings dam

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The old mine left behind huge piles of toxic _____.

Rhymes for tailings

railings

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Frequently asked questions

What does “tailings” mean?

The word “tailings” means the waste material left over after valuable minerals have been extracted from ore during mining. In plain terms, the leftover waste material from mining, milling, or distilling — what's left once the valuable part has been removed.

How do you use “tailings” in a sentence?

Here is “tailings” used in a sentence: “The old mine left behind huge piles of toxic tailings.”

What part of speech is “tailings”?

“Tailings” is a noun.

How many meanings does “tailings” have?

“Tailings” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: the waste material left over after valuable minerals have been extracted from ore during mining.