Quarrie

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A misspelling of the term referring to a place where stone, slate, or other materials are extracted from the earth through excavation; or a mistaken form of a term related to a person or thing pursued in hunting or searching
2. An erroneous rendition of a word meaning an open-pit mine where rocks or minerals are removed illegally or legally; alternatively, a misused variation of a noun signifying a target or goal in pursuit
3. An incorrect spelling that might signify a location for extracting natural stone deposits from the ground or mistakenly represent the object of a hunt or chase in pursuit contexts

Etymology: The pit sense comes from Latin "quadrum," meaning "square," through the Late Latin "quadraria," a place where squared stone was cut. Medieval French turned this into "quarriere," and English adopted it in the Middle Ages. "Quarrie" is a spelling variant of "quarry," and the two forms have long been used interchangeably for an open pit where stone is dug out. Its near-twin, "quarry" meaning hunted animal, is a different word entirely. That sense comes from Old French "cuiriee," the parts of a slain deer given to the hounds, which relates to "cuir," hide. The two words only merged in spelling and sound over time, so the stone pit and the prey share a form but no ancestry.

Synonyms: quarry, pit, mine, excavation, dig