quarry
1
[ kwawr-ee, kwor-ee ]
/ ˈkwɔr i, ˈkwɒr i /
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
1
1375–1425; Middle English
quarey (noun) < Medieval Latin
quareia, variant of
quareria < Old French
quarriere < 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, adjectiveWORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH quarry
quarry queryWords nearby quarry
quarnero,
quarrel,
quarrelsome,
quarrian,
quarrier,
quarry,
quarry tile,
quarry-faced,
quarryman,
quart,
quart major
Example sentences from the Web for quarried
British Dictionary definitions for quarried (1 of 3)
quarry
1
/ (ˈkwɒrɪ) /
noun plural -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
Word Origin for quarry
C15: from Old French
quarriere, from
quarre (unattested) square-shaped stone, from Latin
quadrāre to make square
British Dictionary definitions for quarried (2 of 3)
quarry
2
/ (ˈkwɒrɪ) /
noun plural -ries
an animal, bird, or fish that is hunted, esp by other animals; prey
anything pursued or hunted
Word Origin for 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 quarried (3 of 3)
quarry
3
/ (ˈkwɒrɪ) /
noun plural -ries
Word Origin for quarry
C16: from Old French
quarré; see
quarrel ²