English▸ noun
(plural galamsey or plural galamseys)
[mass noun] (in Ghana) the practice of illegal small-scale gold mining: the government expressed its commitment to fight galamsey
[as modifier] galamsey activities were going on in our town.
▪ [count noun] a person who practises illegal small-scale gold mining:
on the banks of the river we came upon galamsey shovelling and sifting the sand in the traditional way.
– ORIGIN 1980s: apparently from the phrase gather and sell or gather them and sell.