Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun Dirt; filth; rubbish; specifically, the refuse or worthless rock which remains after the ore has been selected from the material obtained by mining: a term originally Cornish, but extensively used in other mining regions in both England and America.
  • An obsolete form of ettle.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun (Mining) Rubbish or refuse consisting of broken rock containing little or no ore.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun dirt; filth
  • noun mining rubbish or refuse consisting of broken rock inholding little or no ore; especially, the worthless rock left over once the ore has been selected.

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Dialectal (Cornish) variation of addle.

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Examples

  • After the fire had done its work, it was found that copper veins, which had been worked, ran through the rock in the gap, and that the great bank upon the south side of the hill, which was supposed to be a terraced gravel bank, proved to be a vast accumulation of "attle," or refuse stone, that had been taken from the artificial gap and deposited there.

    Ancient Mining on the Shores of Lake Superior 1865

  • a vast accumulation of "attle," or refuse stone, that had been taken from the artificial gap and deposited there.

    Ancient Mining on the Shores of Lake Superior 1865

  • To be fair, Democrats additionally have to urge open seats in places like Kansas as good as Oklahoma, which could infer to be an uphill b! attle, t o say a least.

    Archive 2009-12-01 admin 2009

  • To be fair, Democrats additionally have to urge open seats in places like Kansas as good as Oklahoma, which could infer to be an uphill b! attle, t o say a least.

    2010: An Early Snapshot of the Electoral Landscape admin 2009

  • Ironically, if BHP succeeds in its takeover b attle, it will end up footing the bill for the Canpotex park ride.

    Gifts Drop on Saskatoon as BHP and Potash Corp. Tussle Edward Welsch 2010

  • Victor J. Barry, D.D.S. S.attle S.iss legislators humiliate their own dignity while attempting to stifle needed innovation in crop genetics.

    Beast, Don't Pull That Crabgrass! 2008

  • Dave Cameron, co-founder of U.S.S. Mariner, the Web site of choice for obsessive fans of the S.attle Mariners, said he had grown tired of watching one of the team's starting pitchers, Felix Hernandez, get bombed by opposing hitters early in games.

    Baseball Taps Wisdom of Fans 2008

  • The plans include, for the first time, posting full-time inspectors at some of the nation's busiest ports including Long Beach, Calif., and S.attle, and implementing a new import-tracking surveillance system in cooperation with U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

    Safety Push Focuses on Retailers 2008

  • And, I think it may be ab attle fought with property in addition to product liability and tort.

    Some Skepticism 2005

  • It's my birthday birthday birthday in Seattle attle attle.yeah. yeah. yeah.

    senorcoconut Diary Entry senorcoconut 2005

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