mine

¹

[ mahyn ]

pronoun

1. a form of the possessive case of I used as a predicate adjective:

   The yellow sweater is mine.

2. something that belongs to me:

   Mine is the red car.

3. Archaic. my (used before a word beginning with a vowel or a silent h, or following a noun):

   mine eyes; lady mine.

mine

²

[ mahyn ]

noun

1. an excavation made in the earth for the purpose of extracting ores, coal, precious stones, etc.
2. a place where valuable minerals may be obtained, either by excavation or by washing the soil.
3. a natural deposit of valuable minerals.
4. an abundant source; store:

   The notes at the end of her book are a mine of information on the period she's writing about.

   Synonyms: hoard, fund, stock, supply

5. a device containing a charge of explosive in a watertight casing, floating on or moored beneath the surface of the water for the purpose of blowing up an enemy ship that strikes it or passes close by it.
6. a device containing a charge of explosive, typically buried under a shallow layer of dirt for the purpose of blowing up enemy personnel or vehicles that strike it or pass close by it; landmine.
7. a subterranean passage made to extend under an enemy's works or position, as for the purpose of securing access or of depositing explosives for blowing up a military position.
8. Entomology. a passageway in the parenchyma of a leaf, made by certain insects.

verb (used without object)

, mined, min·ing.

1. to dig in the earth for the purpose of extracting ores, coal, etc.; make a mine:

   Many people would mine for gold and silver in the area during the Gold Rush.

2. to extract coal, ore, or the like, from a mine:

   My grandfather mined to make his living, and it was hard on his body.

3. to make subterranean passages.
4. to place or lay mines, as in naval or other military operations.

verb (used with object)

, mined, min·ing.

1. to dig in (earth, rock, etc.) in order to obtain ores, coal, etc.:

   They mined the Blue Ridge Mountains for quartzite, copper, iron, and manganese.

2. to extract (ore, coal, etc.) from a mine:

   Workers mined this tin in Thailand, likely in the late 19th century.

3. to avail oneself of or draw useful or valuable material from:

   I'll have to mine every resource available to finish my term paper on time.

4. to use, especially a natural resource:

   The proposal to mine the nation's oldest forests was met with disapproval.

5. to make subterranean passages in or under; burrow.
6. to make (passages, tunnels, etc.) by digging or burrowing.
7. to dig away or remove the foundations of.
8. to place or lay explosive mines in or under:

   The squad was sent to mine an enemy supply road.

9. Digital Technology. (of a computer, computer network, software application, etc.) to solve sets of mathematical problems that are used to verify cryptocurrency transactions and that, when solved, yield a unit of that currency in exchange, especially bitcoin.
10. Agriculture. to grow crops in (soil) over an extended time without fertilizing.
11. to remove (a natural resource) from its source without attempting to replenish it.

mine

¹

/ maɪn /

noun

1. a system of excavations made for the extraction of minerals, esp coal, ores, or precious stones
2. any deposit of ore or minerals
3. a lucrative source or abundant supply

   she was a mine of information

4. a device containing an explosive designed to destroy ships, vehicles, or personnel, usually laid beneath the ground or in water
5. a tunnel or sap dug to undermine a fortification
6. a groove or tunnel made by certain insects, esp in a leaf

verb

1. to dig into (the earth) for (minerals)
2. to make (a hole, tunnel, etc) by digging or boring
3. to place explosive mines in position below the surface of (the sea or land)
4. to undermine (a fortification) by digging mines or saps
5. See undermine
   another word for undermine

mine

²

/ maɪn /

pronoun

1. something or someone belonging to or associated with me

   mine is best

2. of mine
   of mine belonging to or associated with me

determiner

1. See my
   preceding a vowel an archaic word for my 1

   mine host

   mine eyes

mine

/ mīn /

1. An underground excavation in the Earth from which ore, rock, or minerals can be extracted.

Derived Forms

• ˈminable, adjective

Other Words From

• un·mined adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of mine¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English mīn; cognate with Old Norse mīn, German mein, Gothic meina; my, me

Origin of mine²

First recorded in 1275–1325; 1875–80 mine ²fordef 5; (for the verb) Middle English minen, from Old French miner (cognate with Provençal, Spanish minar, Italian minare ), from Vulgar Latin mīnāre (unrecorded), probably from a Celtic base akin to Middle Irish méin, Welsh mwyn “ore, mineral”; (for the noun) Middle English from Middle French, perhaps noun derivative of miner “to mine” (compare Medieval Latin mina “mine, mineral”)

Word History and Origins

Origin of mine¹

C13: from Old French, probably of Celtic origin; compare Irish mein, Welsh mwyn ore, mine

Origin of mine²

Old English mīn; compare Old High German, Old Norse mīn, Dutch mijn

Idioms and Phrases

see back to the salt mines ; gold mine ; your guess is as good as mine .

Example Sentences

There was a lot of prison fiction from movies and books to mine.

From The Daily Beast

I gave a reading last week with someone who had taken a class of mine.

From The Daily Beast

I wanted to be anonymous, as some of these people were friends of mine.

From The Daily Beast

It reminds me of an uncle of mine who said the London Blitz was irritating.

From The Daily Beast

I learn by the third day to tell the nurse privately to make mine mostly orange juice.

From The Daily Beast

We know one thing—the men that killed Rutter are the ones that held us up, and got off with that money of mine.

From Project Gutenberg

And it is small consolation to me to note that most people's minds seem to be no better done than mine.

From Project Gutenberg

When a besieged city suspects a mine, do not the inhabitants dig underground, and meet their enemy at his work?

From Project Gutenberg

The second cable quotes mine of last night wherein I ask leave to call for the East Lancs.

From Project Gutenberg

And hence the reader can notice the fundamental difference between all other methods and mine.

From Project Gutenberg