Quarry

Part of speech: noun, verb

Pronunciation: /ˈkwɒɹ.i/

Definitions

1. A place where stone, marble, or other materials are extracted from the ground by cutting or blasting
2. An open excavation from which stone or minerals are extracted ; an animal or individual being hunted, chased, or sought after
3. A site where rock or minerals are removed for use ; a target, often an animal, that is followed by a hunter or pursuer

Etymology: The most surprising thing about this word is that it has two unrelated histories that happen to have landed on the same spelling. The first sense, a pit where stone is dug, comes from Medieval Latin "quarreria", recorded in 1266 and meaning a place where stones are squared. That Latin traces back to "quadra", a square, and ultimately to the number four, which is why the stone-working sense links to the idea of squared-off blocks. The second history is quite different. Middle English "quirre" or "querre" came from Anglo-Norman "quiree", the entrails of a deer, which were placed on the hide and given to hunting dogs as a reward. That term ultimately comes from Latin "cor", meaning heart. Its meaning was shaped by association with "cuir", skin, from Latin "corium", a hide, which is a reminder of where the parts of the animal were laid. A third source, "quarrel", meaning a diamond-shaped piece of coloured glass or a square tile, has also contributed through alteration, so the modern spelling blends all three threads.

Synonyms: pit, mine, excavation, source, dig