Plural of colliery; multiple coal mines or the businesses and buildings associated with coal mining.
From colliery (from collier, a coal miner, from Middle English 'colier,' from coal + -ery, a suffix meaning 'a place of activity').
During the Industrial Revolution, collieries completely transformed the landscape of Britain, turning rural areas into bustling industrial centers—they were often so interconnected with workers' lives that entire towns grew up around single mines.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.