quarry

The word “quarry” means a large open pit where stone, sand, or similar material is dug out of the ground. In plain terms, either a stone-digging pit, or prey being chased — context makes clear which.

“Quarry” is pronounced KWOR-ee (/ˈk(w)ɔɹ.i/ in IPA).

Here is “quarry” used in a sentence: “The old quarry is now filled with water and used for swimming.”

Words with a similar meaning to “quarry” include mark, prey and target.

Depending on how it is used, “quarry” can be a noun and a verb.

The word “quarry” comes from Latin. The stone-pit sense traces to Latin quadrare, "to square" (referring to squared-off blocks of stone); the hunted-animal sense comes from a separate Old French word for the parts of a kill fed to hunting dogs.

“Quarry” is an uncommon word in modern English, usually learned at around the C1 level.

“Quarry” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a large open pit where stone, sand, or similar material is dug out of the ground.

A quarry is an open pit dug into the ground to extract materials like stone or sand, while a mine typically involves tunnels dug underground to extract minerals, ores, or coal. Quarrying is generally surface-level work, whereas mining often goes below the surface.

This sense of quarry comes from hunting, where it describes the animal or person being pursued or tracked. It is a separate meaning from the excavation site, though both uses share the idea of something being extracted or pursued with effort.

Yes, quarry can be used as a verb meaning to dig stone or other material out of the ground, as in 'the company quarries granite from this site.'