quarry

¹ American  

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

noun

PLURAL

quarries

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)

quarried, quarrying

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

PLURAL

quarries

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

PLURAL

quarries

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

• quarriable adjective
• quarryable adjective
• unquarried adjective

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

Example Sentences

After analyzing the model, the team identified 30 distinct quarrying areas, each showing unique carving approaches.

From Science Daily

Not surprisingly, a perfect Sunday for Wareheim involves shopping for plants and perusing rock yards and quarries, though he won’t divulge exactly where.

From Los Angeles Times

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said the deadly blast happened in a building dedicated to making “boosters” – charges used for mining, construction and quarrying.

From The Wall Street Journal

Once he figures out a way to navigate its deadly forests and fields, there’s a deadlier obstacle between him and his quarry: a bioweapons retrieval team deployed by the Weyland-Yutani Corporation.

From Salon

The android knows how to navigate the planet’s threats—exploding spike plants, acid-spitting eels, literal razor grass—so Dek reluctantly teams up with her to find his quarry.

From The Wall Street Journal