Synonyms:
quarrying
Meaning: the extraction of building stone or slate from an open surface quarry
Usage examples
Then, when the winds fall, we move in for a couple of months. It isn't really mining, or even quarrying; we just scoop up ore from the surface, load it onto ore-boats, and fly it down to Skilk and Krink and Grank, where it's smelted through the winter.