coalface

noun

coal·​face ˈkōl-ˌfās 

plural coalfaces

British

: the place inside a mine where the coal is cut out of the rock

The war started, and he spent six years building bridges in North Africa, which he said was easier than working on the coalface in Wales.

—Denny Taylor, Beginning to Read and the Spin Doctors of Science, 1998

Phrases

at the coalface British

: at the place where the actual work of an activity is done

Offering differentiation will be particularly important in sectors at the coalface of the UK's economic downturn.

—Marketing Week, 5 Jan. 2012

Word History

First Known Use

1771, in the meaning defined above

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