English Explanatory Dictionary

quarry

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A site for mining stone, such as limestone, or slate.
verb
  1. To obtain (or mine) stone by extraction from a quarry.
  2. To extract or slowly obtain by long, tedious searching.
noun
  1. A part of the entrails of a hunted animal, given to the hounds as a reward.
  2. An animal, often a bird or mammal, which is hunted.
  3. An object of search or pursuit.
verb
  1. To secure prey; to prey, as a vulture or harpy.
noun
  1. A diamond-shaped tile or pane, often of glass or stone.

Pronunciation

/ˈkwɒɹ.i/ /ˈk(w)ɔɹ.i/ en-us-quarry.ogg /ˈkwɑɹ.i/ en-au-quarry.ogg

Word forms

quarry quarries currie curry quarrying quarried

Etymology

From Middle English quarere, from Medieval Latin quarreria (1266), literally a “place where stones are squared”, from Old French quarrière (compare modern French carrière), from Vulgar Latin *quadraria, from Latin quadrō (“to square”), itself from quadra (“a square”), from quattuor (“four”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kʷetwóres (“four”).

Synonyms

delf mine dig dig up unearth mark prey target

Derived words

Quarry Bank quarry car quarry-faced quarrylike quarryman quarrymaster quarrystone quarry water quarriable quarrier quarrying quarry light quarry tile
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