View synonyms for

quarry

[ kwawr-ee, kwor-ee ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

plural quarries.

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)

quarried, quarrying.

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

quarry

[ kwawr-ee, kwor-ee ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

plural quarries.

an animal or bird hunted or pursued.
game, especially game hunted with hounds or hawks.
any object of search, pursuit, or attack.

quarry

[ kwawr-ee, kwor-ee ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

plural quarries.

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

quarry

/ ˈ��ɒ��ɪ /

noun

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

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

quarry

/ ˈ��ɒ��ɪ /

noun

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

quarry

/ ˈ��ɒ��ɪ /

noun

a square or diamond shape
something having this shape
another word for quarrel 2

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Other Word Forms

��ܲ��۾�·��·�� ��ܲ��۲�·��·�� adjective
�ܲ�·��ܲ��۾�� adjective

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Word History and Origins

Origin of quarry¹

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 ��ܲ�� “place where stone is squared,” derivative of Latin ��ܲ�� “to square”

Origin of quarry²

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 ��ǰ��ٲ� (plural) “entrails,” from cor “h�𲹰��”

Origin of quarry³

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

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Word History and Origins

Origin of quarry¹

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

Origin of quarry²

C14 quirre entrails offered to the hounds, from Old French ��ܾ��é�� 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

Origin of quarry³

C16: from Old French ��ܲ��é; see quarrel ²

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

The land, part of a disused quarry once linked to the town's former steelworks, was identified as the ideal location due to strong local support.

From

Police are examining an item found near a quarry which has been at the centre of investigations into the murders of a mother and son almost 50 years ago.

From

Twelve massive chunks of white stone were quarried there, transported in their raw state across the border and piled in six pairs adjacent to a Desert Hot Springs wind farm.

From

From quarry workers to weavers, welders to tailors, the pictures highlight the diverse, backbreaking work undertaken by the estimated 400 million labourers in India.

From

Myers’ vision for the area included reintroducing animals that had once been native inhabitants, including tule elk and bighorn sheep, and obliterating man-made intrusions, such as a rock quarry, petroleum waste pits, fences and roads.

From

quarrier quarry-faced

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