/ ˈfɒsɪk; NAmE ˈfɑːs-/ verb [ v ] ( AustralE , NZE , informal )
1.
fossick (through sth) to search through sth :
He spent ages fossicking through the documents.
2.
to search for gold in mines that are no longer used
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WORD ORIGIN
mid 19th cent. (referring to mining): probably from the English dialect sense obtain by asking (i.e. “ferret out”).