quarry

¹ American  

[kwawr-ee, kwor-ee] / ˈkwɔr i, ˈkwɒr i /

noun

quarries plural

1. an excavation or pit, usually open to the air, from which building stone, slate, or the like, is obtained by cutting, blasting, etc.

2. an abundant source or supply.

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verb (used with object)

quarries, present (3rd person singular) quarried, past participle, past quarrying present participle

1. to obtain (stone) from or as if from a quarry.

2. to make a quarry in.

quarry ² American  

[kwawr-ee, kwor-ee] / ˈkwɔr i, ˈkwɒr i /

noun

quarries plural

1. an animal or bird hunted or pursued.

2. game, especially game hunted with hounds or hawks.

3. any object of search, pursuit, or attack.

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quarry ³ American  

[kwawr-ee, kwor-ee] / ˈkwɔr i, ˈkwɒr i /

noun

quarries plural

1. a square stone or tile.

2. quarrel.

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quarry ¹ British  

/ ˈkwɒrɪ /

noun

1. an open surface excavation for the extraction of building stone, slate, marble, etc, by drilling, blasting, or cutting

2. a copious source of something, esp information

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verb

1. to extract (stone, slate, etc) from or as if from a quarry

2. (tr) to excavate a quarry in

3. to obtain (something, esp information) diligently and laboriously

   he was quarrying away in the reference library

quarry ² British  

/ ˈkwɒrɪ /

noun

1. a square or diamond shape

2. something having this shape

3. another word for quarrel 2

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quarry ³ British  

/ ˈkwɒrɪ /

noun

1. an animal, bird, or fish that is hunted, esp by other animals; prey

2. anything pursued or hunted

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• unquarried
  adjective
• quarriable
  adjective
• quarryable
  adjective

Inflected Forms

noun

• quarries
  plural

Conjugated Forms

Present

• has quarried
  perfect 3rd person singular
• have quarried
  perfect
• has been quarrying
  perfect progressive 3rd person singular
• is quarrying
  progressive 3rd person singular
• have been quarrying
  perfect progressive
• am quarrying
  progressive 1st person singular
• are quarrying
  progressive
• quarries
  singular 3rd person
• quarrying
  participle

Past

• had quarried
  perfect
• had been quarrying
  perfect progressive
• was quarrying
  progressive singular
• were quarrying
  progressive plural
• quarried
  simple
• quarried
  participle

Future

• will quarry
  simple
• will have quarried
  perfect
• will have been quarrying
  perfect progressive
• will be quarrying
  progressive

Etymology

Origin of quarry¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English noun quarrei, quarey, quar(r)i, from Medieval Latin quareia, quarrea, quareria, from Old French quarriere, from unrecorded Vulgar Latin quadrāria “place where stone is squared,” derivative of Latin quadrāre “to square”

Origin of quarry²

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English quirre, querre, quirrei “parts of a deer given to the hounds,” from Old French cuiree, cuiriee, curee “viscera, entrails” (probably influenced by cuir “leather, hide, skin”), from Latin corium “skin, hide, leather”), from Late Latin corāta (plural) “entrails,” from cor “heart”

Origin of quarry³

First recorded in 1535–45; noun use of obsolete adjective quarry “square,” from Old French quarre, from Latin quadrātus quadrate

Explanation

Both meanings of quarry have to do with going after something. An animal being hunted is called quarry, and when you dig a hole in the earth looking for rocks, both the digging and the hole are called quarry as well. Gross fact: Quarry derives from the Latin cor "heart," because hunters used to drape the entrails of their chosen quarry on their dogs' backs. The origin in a word for "heart" can help you remember both quarries: a rock quarry is searching down toward the heart of the earth; a stag's heart is considered a hunter's greatest prize.

Example Sentences

The group, which primarily produces its liquor in Latvia, bought up the depleted Cedar Creek Quarry in Bardstown, Ky., and planned to redevelop it into the Kentucky Owl Park.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 17, 2026

William died in hospital after a large stone fell and hit him at FP McCann's Loughside Quarry in Larne, County Antrim in April 2023.

From BBC • Mar. 13, 2026

Excavated within the Oulad Hamida Formation, Thomas Quarry I is already known for containing the oldest Acheulean tools in north-western Africa, dated to about 1.3 million years ago.

From Science Daily • Feb. 7, 2026

Much of the data came from the Dry Mesa Dinosaur Quarry in Colorado, a site known for its exceptionally rich fossil record.

From Science Daily • Feb. 1, 2026

The water could be the Bloomington Empire Quarry or the Seven Pillars or the river that runs in front of the high school or about a hundred other places.

From "All The Bright Places" by Jennifer Niven