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Definitions

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

  1. n. An almost horizontal entrance to a mine.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

  1. n. An entrance or a passage; specifically, in mining, a nearly horizontal excavation, or drift (which see), specially used to conduct from the interior to the surface the water which either comes into the workings from above or is pumped up from below. The word tunnel is in general use in the United States, and especially in the western mining regions, for adit; but the former properly signifies an excavation open at both ends, such as is used in railroads. When there are two or more adits, the lowest is called the deep adit. Adits are occasionally several miles in length. The so-called Sutro tunnel, draining the Comstock lode at Virginia City, Nevada, is the most extensive work of this kind yet constructed in the United States. It is about 20,000 feet in length, and intersects the lode at a depth of about 2000 feet. Also called adit-level. See cut under level.
  2. n. Milit., a passage under ground by which miners approach the part they intend to sap. Wilhelm, Mil. Diet. Admission; access; approach.

Wiktionary

  1. n. A horizontal or nearly horizontal passage from the surface into a mine as contrasted to a shaft which is a vertical entry passage. An adit may be used for ventilation, haulage, drainage, or other purposes.

GNU Webster's 1913

  1. n. An entrance or passage. Specifically: The nearly horizontal opening by which a mine is entered, or by which water and ores are carried away; -- called also drift and tunnel.
  2. n. rare Admission; approach; access.

WordNet 3.0

  1. n. a nearly horizontal passage from the surface into a mine

Etymologies

  1. From Latin aditus ‘entrance, access’, from ad + itus. (Wiktionary)
  2. Latin aditus, access, from past participle of adīre, to approach : ad-, ad- + īre, to go. (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)

Examples

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synonyms (3)

Words with the same meaning

  1. admission
  1. approach
  1. access

hypernyms (1)

Words that are more generic or abstract

  1. passage

same context (4)

Words that are found in similar contexts

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  1. hoagie
  1. hunter-killer
  1. right

reverse dictionary (22)

Words that contain this word in their definition

  1. tunnel
  2. adit-level
  3. level
  4. heading
  1. thickness
  2. wing-bore
  3. rising main
  4. sough
  1. spoil-bank
  2. astyllen
  3. head-sword
  4. drift
  1. entry
  2. fang
  3. spill
  4. plumming
  1. shield
  2. thurl
  3. burrow
  4. dump
  1. sump
  2. aditus

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  1. vcvc

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tagging (1)

Words tagged ‘adit’

  1. murrine-based

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  • Casey "To the north were the mines themselves: dangerous, undershored scratch drifts that went down fifty feet or so and then spread like fingers clutching for gold and silver and copper and the occasional nest of firedims. From the outside they were just holes punched into the bare and rocky earth, holes like staring eyes, each with its own pile of till and scrapings beside the adit." From Wizard and Glass by Stephen King Jan 28, 2011

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‘adit’ has been looked up 4833 times, loved by 1 person, added to 20 lists, commented on 1 time, and has a Scrabble score of 5.