costean

intransitive verb

cos·​tean

variants or costeen

käˈstēn,

ˈ⸗ˌ⸗

-ed/-ing/-s

British

: to dig trenches or small pits through the surface soil or debris to the underlying rock in place for the purpose of exposing the outcrop of a mineral deposit and determining its course

Word History

Etymology

from (assumed) Cornish costēn, probably from codha to fall, happen + stēn tin; akin to Old Norse hitta to hit, find

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