Definitions
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. In placer and hydraulic mining, sand or gravel containing, or supposed to contain, gold enough to pay for washing. Also wash-stuff, wash-gravel.
Examples
“Every man that had a few pounds wanted a horse to ride or drive; every miner wanted a wash-dirt cart and a horse to draw it.”
“If they found the colour of gold, the least trace of it in a dish of wash-dirt, they would at once settle down themselves.”
“All being made ready, and every possible precaution taken against accident, I was let down from the top of the cliff to what looked like the dried-up course of a stream composed of pebbles and wash-dirt.”
“He and his two companions, working more scientifically along the creek in the scrub than the others had done on Ripple Creek, had located the extent over which gold was to be found in the wash-dirt, and had then carefully and systematically worked through it, the division of labour enabling them to get over the ground quickly and effectively.”
“Green and Pinkerton were busy at the claim, cradling the last of the wash-dirt taken out.”
“There's nearly five ounces in that lot, Mallet," said the captain, pointing to two buckets of wash-dirt.”
“Having to throw the wash-dirt eleven feet, a lot of the pebbles in it would come back on and bruise my naked body.”
“Although I could detect no difference in the wash-dirt, the cradling results dwindled down by degrees to a quarter ounce per load.”
“As I puddled the wash-dirt he cradled it, and consequently was in possession of the gold bag which held the proceeds from the cradle.”
“During the preceding summer they had carted their wash-dirt from the gully until rain came and filled the waterhole.”
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