Definitions for "Waste rock"
Keywords:  mine, dump, subaqueous, subaerial, 'gob
Rock dislodged by mining activity yet containing no ore minerals.
(1)(a) the barren rock in a mine; (b)(2) the ore deposit that is too low in grade to be of economic value at the time, but can be stored for later processing if it becomes economically feasible; (4) rock with insufficient amounts of economically valuable elements to warrant its extraction, but which has to be removed to allow physical access to the ore. Waste rock is typically blasted into smaller particles to allow its removal by truck and shovel. Disposal occurs in subaerial or subaqueous surface dumps or backfill to open pit or underground workings. In heap leaching, spent ore is sometimes referred to as 'spoils', 'gob', or 'rejects', terms which also can apply to waste materials from density separation and the wash plant.
the non-mineralised rock and/or rock that generally cannot be mined economically that is hoisted to the surface for disposal on the surface normally close to the shaft on an allocated dump.