vbl. sb. [f. STOPE v. + -ING1.] The action of the verb STOPE.
1778. W. Pryce, Min. Cornub., 97. When met with in stopeing, or driving as aforesaid, they commonly say, ‘It is a stope of dead ground.’
1903. Westm. Gaz., 16 Sept., 9/1. We have good reason to believe that actual stopings … will expose a much larger amount than can now be seen.
attrib. 1877. Raymond, Statist. Mines & Mining, 320. Besides this, stoping ground for 10 men is opened.
1884. Knight, Dict. Mech., Suppl. 868/1. Stoping Drill (Mining.) One for excavating drifts or horizontally lying beds or steps [etc.].
