- overburden
- I. transitive verb Date: 1532 to place an excessive burden on II. noun Date: 1855 material overlying a deposit of useful geological materials or bedrock
New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.
overburden
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Overburden — is the material that lies above an area of economic or scientific interest in mining and archaeology; most commonly the rock, soil, and ecosystem that lies above a coal seam or ore body. It is also known as waste or spoil . Overburden is distinct … Wikipedia
Overburden — O ver*bur den, v. t. To load with too great weight or too much care, etc. Sir P. Sidney. [1913 Webster] … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
Overburden — O ver*bur den, n. The waste which overlies good stone in a quarry. Raymond. [1913 Webster] … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
overburden — index disadvantage, exploit (take advantage of), harass, impact, mishandle (maltreat), mistreat … Law dictionary
overburden — (v.) to put too much weight on, 1530s, from OVER (Cf. over) + BURDEN (Cf. burden) (v.). Earliest uses are figurative. Related: Overburdened; overburdening … Etymology dictionary
overburden — ► VERB ▪ burden excessively … English terms dictionary
overburden — [ō΄vər bʉrd′ n; ] for n. [ ō′vər bʉrd΄ n] vt. to burden oppressively; weigh down n. 1. something that overburdens 2. Geol. soil, rock, etc. that is covering or overlying a useful deposit, as of ore … English World dictionary
overburden — UK [ˌəʊvə(r)ˈbɜː(r)d(ə)n] / US [ˌoʊvərˈbɜrd(ə)n] verb [transitive] Word forms overburden : present tense I/you/we/they overburden he/she/it overburdens present participle overburdening past tense overburdened past participle overburdened formal… … English dictionary
overburden — v. /oh veuhr berr dn/; n. /oh veuhr berr dn/, v.t. 1. to load with too great a burden; overload: He was overburdened with cares. n. 2. an excessive burden. 3. Also called burden, capping. Mining. waste earth and rock covering a mineral deposit.… … Universalium
overburden — 1. noun a) The rock and subsoil that lies above a mineral deposit such as a coal seam b) A sterile stratum that lies above the stratum being investigated 2 … Wiktionary
