Considering its current definition (see below) and the wish to be politically correct, I wonder whether the word has come to acquire any racist overtone.
What is a coal miner hewer-Ask.com. Coal miner hewer is a person who hews or cuts the coal from its natural situation. The hewer is the actual coal-digger removing it from the coal face.
The definition of hew is to chop, cut or shape something with an ax, or to conform or adhere. 1  When a tree falls down on your property and you cut and shape it until it becomes a little bench to sit on, this is an example of a time when you hew.