quarry Hear it!

quarry1 definition

quarry (kwôr′ē, kwär′ē)

noun pl. quarries -·ries

a square or diamond-shaped piece of glass, tile, etc.

Etymology: var. of quarrel

quarry2 definition

quarry (kwôr′ē, kwär′ē)

noun pl. quarries -·ries

  1. an animal that is being hunted down, esp. with dogs or hawks; prey
  2. anything being hunted or pursued

Etymology: ME querre, orig., parts of the prey put on the hide and fed to dogs < OFr cuiree, altered (infl. by cuir, a hide) < ML *corata, viscera < L cor, heart

quarry3 definition

quarry (kwôr′ē, kwär′ē)

noun pl. quarries -·ries

a place where building stone, marble, or slate is excavated, as by cutting or blasting

Etymology: ME quarey < ML quarreia, contr. of quarreria, quadraria, lit., place where stones are squared < L quadrare, to square: see quadrate

transitive verb quarried -·ried, quarrying -·ry·ing

  1. to excavate from a quarry
  2. to make a quarry in (land)

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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