coalface
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.65 in modern English
15
Scrabble Score
8
Letters
2
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A place where more tangible, practical, or direct work of an activity is done, as opposed to theoretical or managerial work.
British usage
Example Sentences
- "Works of this kind are necessarily parasitic upon the research of other scholars and I should like to express my gratitude to all those whose hard labour at the coalface has made my own endeavours possible."
- "Lizzie had paid her own dues at the coalface of teething babies and gave the young mother an understanding grin in return."
- "However, my mother, who had been at the coalface of the marital collapse, felt the need to have an in-depth debrief."
- "But we both know that all of this wonderful equilibrium comes at a cost: there is the tacit understanding that it's my turn to pursue my dreams whilst my husband slogs at the coalface."
- "While schools were seen to be at the coalface of administering arts education, teachers, artists and children were rarely consulted in relation to the development of arts education policy."
- "By all means look at streamlining systems, look at changing the way that you produce public services for sure, but please do not cut at the coalface. That goes for a teacher, it goes for a policeman and it goes for a nurse."
Etymology
Usage
- British usage