adit
/ˈæ.dɪt/ noun, proper noun
Forms adits
- noun (mining) A horizontal or nearly horizontal passage from the surface into a mine, as contrasted with a shaft or vertical entry passage, used for ventilation, haulage, drainage, or other purposes.
- proper noun A diminutive of the male given name Aditya, from Sanskrit.
Synonyms
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin aditus (“entrance, access”), from ad (“to, up to”) + itus (“going, departure”).
Hypocorism of Aditya.
Webster’s 1913
- noun An entrance or passage. Specifically: The nearly horizontal opening by which a mine is entered, or by which water and ores are carried away; --called also drift and tunnel.
- noun Admission; approach; access. [R.]
Etymology [L. aditus, fr. adire, , to go to; ad + ire to go.]
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “adit”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details