quarry

[ kwawr-ee, kwor-ee ]

See synonyms for: quarry quarried quarrying on Thesaurus.com

noun,plural quar·ries.

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

verb (used with object),quar·ried, quar·ry·ing.

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

Origin of quarry

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”

Other words from quarry

quar·ri·a·ble, quar·ry·a·ble, adjective
un·quar·ried, adjective

Words that may be confused with quarry

quarry , query

Words Nearby quarry

Other definitions for quarry (2 of 3)

quarry²

[ kwawr-ee, kwor-ee ]

noun,plural quar·ries.

an animal or bird hunted or pursued.
game, especially game hunted with hounds or hawks.

any object of search, pursuit, or attack.

Origin of quarry

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”

Other definitions for quarry (3 of 3)

quarry³

[ kwawr-ee, kwor-ee ]

noun,plural quar·ries.

a square stone or tile.
quarrel² (def. 2).

Origin of quarry

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use quarry in a sentence

“There were a lot of farmworkers’ houses and people who worked at the quarry,” she said.
The past will be present at Montgomery County’s virtual history conference | John Kelly | January 19, 2021 | Washington Post
Our sights are set far smaller—bluegills, crappie, and perch, the perfect first quarry for a beginner.
The happiness and heartbreak of a daughter’s first fishing trip | By Jonathon Klein/Field & Stream | December 30, 2020 | Popular-Science
Photos from 1992 and 2001 document pieces in which the Scotland-based artist froze rocks to a quarry face and laced a stone wall with large icicles.
In the galleries: Where artists engage with the earth | Mark Jenkins | December 4, 2020 | Washington Post
Like a rock quarry or a cable television provider, regional casinos are inherently good businesses.
Valuation: Casino stocks got clobbered by COVID-19. This one is now an attractive bet | matthewheimer | October 18, 2020 | Fortune
You’ll find waterfalls and dinosaur tracks near this RV-friendly site, which is perched on the edge of a former quarry, a national historic landmark that’s now a lake.
Our Favorite Hipcamp in Every State | Alison Van Houten | October 1, 2020 | Outside Online

Castle Black is built into an old quarry about 45 minutes north of Belfast.
Queen To Visit Westeros | Tom Sykes | June 20, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
We shot it in an abandoned quarry just outside of Split in Croatia.
Game of Thrones’ New Hunk Michiel Huisman on the Revamped Daario Naharis | Marlow Stern | April 22, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
He says the way we do this is similar to a bird of prey assessing its quarry, swooping in.
David Best Creates a Temple Made of Memories Outside San Francisco | Debra A. Klein | February 14, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
The sexually voracious alpha-female who seduces and then consumes her quarry?
Danny Boyle, Director of 'Trance,' On His Favorite Psychological Thrillers | Danny Boyle | April 2, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
As rocks tumbled from the quarry wall above, the need for capped helmets became clear.
War Games: Microsoft Invades Liechtenstein for Halo 4 Blowout | Alex Klein | November 8, 2012 | THE DAILY BEAST
Here is a gold-mine for the makers of boys' books of all future generations to quarry in.
Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 158, April 28, 1920 | Various
Now it happened that these steps of the dwarfs adjoined a deserted stone quarry less than a mile from the castle of Clarides.
Honey-Bee | Anatole France
No man who ever was in a quarry or gravel pit will say so, much less one who has the least smattering of chemistry or geology.
Gospel Philosophy | J. H. Ward
Nor can one who in pumping out his quarry frees another quarry from water recover anything for the service.
Putnam's Handy Law Book for the Layman | Albert Sidney Bolles
On one occasion (we are not told the date or place) the hunter nearly became a prey to his quarry.
Ireland Under the Tudors, Vol. II (of 3) | Richard Bagwell

British Dictionary definitions for quarry (1 of 3)

quarry¹

/ (ˈkwɒrɪ) /

nounplural -ries

an open surface excavation for the extraction of building stone, slate, marble, etc, by drilling, blasting, or cutting
a copious source of something, esp information

verb-ries, -rying or -ried

to extract (stone, slate, etc) from or as if from a quarry
(tr) to excavate a quarry in

to obtain (something, esp information) diligently and laboriously: he was quarrying away in the reference library

Origin of quarry

C15: from Old French quarriere, from quarre (unattested) square-shaped stone, from Latin quadrāre to make square

British Dictionary definitions for quarry (2 of 3)

quarry²

/ (ˈkwɒrɪ) /

nounplural -ries

an animal, bird, or fish that is hunted, esp by other animals; prey
anything pursued or hunted

Origin of quarry

C14 quirre entrails offered to the hounds, from Old French cuirée what is placed on the hide, from cuir hide, from Latin corium leather; probably also influenced by Old French coree entrails, from Latin cor heart

British Dictionary definitions for quarry (3 of 3)

quarry³

/ (ˈkwɒrɪ) /

nounplural -ries

a square or diamond shape
something having this shape

another word for quarrel 2

Origin of quarry

C16: from Old French quarré; see quarrel ²

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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