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