underburdened

English

Verb

underburdened

1. simple past and past participle of underburden

Adjective

underburdened (comparative more underburdened, superlative most underburdened)

1. Not having sufficient work.
   • 1989, Philip C. Grant, Multiple Use Job Descriptions, →ISBN:

     Tasks may be taken from the overburdened and given to the underburdened; certain tasks may be shared; some additional (new) tasks may be assigned the underburdened; perhaps employees who are overburdened can have some of their tasks simplified, combined with others, or outright eliminated.

2. (mining) Having too powerful an explosive for the amount of rock broken up, resulting in a risk of igniting dust and gasses.
   • 1960, Bulletin - Issues 586-595, page 265:

     Probably one or more of the holes was underburdened, causing an ignition of methane and coal dust.

   • 1984, Employment Safety and Health Guide, page 7249:

     Detonation of underburdened or overburdened explosive charges is extremely dangerous.

   • 2006, Robert E Hartley, David Kenney, Death Underground: The Centralia and West Frankfort Mine Disasters, →ISBN:

     A blown-out shot of explosives that was stemmed with coal dust, or an underburdened shot of explosives could have ignited the coal dust.