mine
myn
Mine (pron) means belonging to me; the possessive form of "I" used on its own, without a following noun. Example: “That jacket is mine.”
pron
1
Belonging to me; the possessive form of "I" used on its own, without a following noun.
"That jacket is mine."
"Is this pen yours or mine?"
"Those muddy boots by the door are not mine."
det
1
My — an older or more formal possessive form used before a vowel sound or in set phrases.
"Mine eyes have seen the glory."
"Mine host welcomed us warmly to the inn and showed us upstairs."
"Mine own true friend would never speak so unkindly of me."
noun
1
An underground excavation dug to extract ore, coal, or other minerals.
"His grandfather spent thirty years working in a coal mine."
"The old silver mine has been closed for decades."
"Tourists can now take a guided tour deep inside the old tin mine."
2
An explosive device buried in the ground or hidden in water, designed to detonate when disturbed.
"The soldiers had to clear the field of landmines before advancing."
"Volunteers carefully removed each mine from the old farmland."
"Signs warned walkers that the area beyond the fence still held a mine."
3
A computer or network of computers used to generate new units of a cryptocurrency.
"He built a small mine in his garage to earn extra Bitcoin."
"The new mine in the warehouse uses a lot of electricity every night."
"Their mine is made up of hundreds of computers running day and night."
verb
1
To dig ore, coal, or other minerals out of the ground.
"The company mines copper in several South American countries."
"They mined this valley for gold in the 1800s."
"Workers mine salt from deep beneath the plain."
2
To lay explosive mines in an area, or to damage something with one.
"The harbor entrance was mined to stop enemy ships."
3
To earn units of cryptocurrency by running computations that validate transactions.
"She mines Ethereum on a rig she built herself."
"He mines coins at home, but the electricity bill eats most of his profit."
"Some people mine cryptocurrency using powerful graphics cards in a spare room."
How to use mine
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither "belonging to me" or, as a completely separate word, a hole dug in the ground for minerals (or the explosive device / cryptocurrency-earning sense that grew from it).
Common mistake
Don't confuse the possessive "mine" (that book is mine) with the noun/verb "mine" (a coal mine; to mine bitcoin) — they're unrelated words that just happen to be spelled the same.
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Word forms
- Plural
- mines
- Third person singular
- mines
- Past tense
- mined
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
That jacket is _____.
Etymology
The possessive "mine" traces back through Old English mīn to a very old Germanic root for "my"; the noun/verb "mine" (as in digging) comes from a separate Old French word for an excavation or tunnel.
Related words
Rhymes for mine
See all rhymes for mine →Frequently asked questions
What does “mine” mean?
The word “mine” means belonging to me; the possessive form of "I" used on its own, without a following noun. In plain terms, either "belonging to me" or, as a completely separate word, a hole dug in the ground for minerals (or the explosive device / cryptocurrency-earning sense that grew from it).
How do you pronounce “mine”?
“Mine” is pronounced myn (/maɪ̯n/ in IPA).
How do you use “mine” in a sentence?
Here is “mine” used in a sentence: “That jacket is mine.”
What part of speech is “mine”?
Depending on how it is used, “mine” can be a pronoun, a det, a noun and a verb.
Where does the word “mine” come from?
The word “mine” comes from Old French. The possessive "mine" traces back through Old English mīn to a very old Germanic root for "my"; the noun/verb "mine" (as in digging) comes from a separate Old French word for an excavation or tunnel.
Is “mine” a common word?
“Mine” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.
How many meanings does “mine” have?
“Mine” has 8 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: belonging to me; the possessive form of "I" used on its own, without a following noun.
What is the difference between mine and my?
Both show that something belongs to the speaker, but they sit differently in a sentence. 'My' always comes before a noun, as in 'my car.' 'Mine' stands alone with no noun after it, as in 'that car is mine.' Use 'my' to introduce the thing and 'mine' to replace it.
What kind of word is 'mine'?
In this sense, 'mine' is a possessive pronoun. It replaces a noun phrase that belongs to the speaker, so instead of repeating 'my keys' you can simply say 'the keys are mine.' Other possessive pronouns in the same family include yours, his, hers, ours, and theirs.
Does 'mine' have other meanings?
Yes. Spelled the same way, 'mine' can also be a noun for an underground site where minerals like coal or gold are dug out, or a concealed explosive device. These senses are unrelated to the possessive pronoun and are told apart entirely by the context of the sentence.
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