Mine vs. Quarry — What's the Difference?

An excavation in the earth for extracting coal or other minerals

An animal pursued by a hunter, hound, predatory mammal, or bird of prey

To lay explosive mines in (an area)

A quarry is a type of open-pit mine in which dimension stone, rock, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, gravel, or slate is excavated from the ground. The operation of quarries is regulated in some jurisdictions to reduce their environmental impact.The word quarry can also include the underground quarrying for stone, such as Bath stone.

A hole or tunnel dug into the earth from which ore or minerals are extracted.

A place where stone or slate is extracted

A surface excavation where the topmost or exposed layer of earth is removed for extracting its ore or minerals.

To extract stone or other materials from a quarry

The site of such a hole, tunnel, or excavation, including its surface buildings and equipment.

A hunted animal; prey.

A deposit of ore or minerals in the earth or on its surface.

Hunted animals considered as a group; game.

An abundant supply or source of something valuable

An object of pursuit

A tunnel dug under an enemy emplacement to destroy it by explosives, cause it to collapse, or gain access to it for an attack.

An open excavation or pit from which stone is obtained by digging, cutting, or blasting.

An explosive device used to destroy enemy personnel, shipping, fortifications, or equipment, often placed in a concealed position and designed to be detonated by contact, proximity, or a time fuse.

A rich or productive source

A burrow or tunnel made by an insect, especially one made in a leaf by a leaf miner.

A square or diamond shape.

To extract (ore or minerals) from the earth.

A pane of glass having this shape.

To dig a mine in (the earth) to obtain ore or minerals.

To obtain (stone) from a quarry, as by cutting, digging, or blasting.

To tunnel under (the earth or a surface feature).

To extract (facts, for example) by long, careful searching

To make (a tunnel) by digging.

To use (land) as a quarry.

To lay explosive mines in or under.

(mining) A site for mining stone, limestone, or slate.

To attack, damage, or destroy by underhand means; subvert.

A part of the entrails of a hunted animal, given to the hounds as a reward.

To delve into and make use of; exploit

(uncountable) An animal, often a bird or mammal, which is hunted.

To excavate the earth for the purpose of extracting ore or minerals.

(countable) An object of search or pursuit.

To work in a mine.

A diamond-shaped tile or pane, often of glass or stone.

To dig a tunnel under the earth, especially under an enemy emplacement or fortification.

(transitive) To obtain (or mine) stone by extraction from a quarry.

To lay explosive mines.

To extract or slowly obtain by long, tedious searching.

Used instead of my before an initial vowel or the letter h.

To secure prey; to prey, as a vulture or harpy.

That which belongs to me.

Same as 1st Quarrel.

Used predicatively.

A part of the entrails of the beast taken, given to the hounds.

Used substantively, with an implied noun.

The object of the chase; the animal hunted for; game; especially, the game hunted with hawks.

Used absolutely, set off from the sentence.

A place, cavern, or pit where stone is taken from the rock or ledge, or dug from the earth, for building or other purposes; a stone pit. See 5th Mine (a).

Used otherwise not directly before the possessed noun. en

Quadrate; square.

My; belonging to me.

To secure prey; to prey, as a vulture or harpy.

(archaic) Used attributively after the noun it modifies.

To dig or take from a quarry; as, to quarry marble.

(archaic) Used attributively before a vowel.

A person who is the aim of an attack (especially a victim of ridicule or exploitation) by some hostile person or influence;

An excavation from which ore or solid minerals are taken, especially one consisting of underground tunnels.

A surface excavation for extracting stone or slate;

(figurative) Any source of wealth or resources.

Animal hunted or caught for food

(military) A passage dug toward or underneath enemy lines, which is then packed with explosives.

Extract (something such as stones) from or as if from a quarry;

(military) A device intended to explode when stepped upon or touched, or when approached by a ship, vehicle, or person.

To cut into rock or ground to obtain stone or other materials

(pyrotechnics) A type of firework that explodes on the ground, shooting sparks upward.

A diamond-shaped pane of glass as used in lattice windows

(entomology) The cavity made by a caterpillar while feeding inside a leaf.

(computing) A machine or network of machines used to extract units of a cryptocurrency.

Alternative form of mien

(ambitransitive) To remove (rock or ore) from the ground.

To dig into, for ore or metal.

(transitive) To sow mines (the explosive devices) in (an area).

(transitive) To damage (a vehicle or ship) with a mine (an explosive device).

(intransitive) To dig a tunnel or hole; to burrow in the earth.

To dig away, or otherwise remove, the substratum or foundation of; to lay a mine under; to sap; to undermine.

To ruin or destroy by slow degrees or secret means.

(slang) To pick one's nose.

(cryptocurrencies) To earn new units of cryptocurrency by doing certain calculations.

See Mien.

A subterranean cavity or passage

Any place where ore, metals, or precious stones are got by digging or washing the soil; as, a placer mine.

A rich source of wealth or other good.

An explosive device placed concealed in a location, on land or at sea, where an enemy vehicle or enemy personnel may pass through, having a triggering mechanism which detects people or vehicles, and which will explode and kill or maim personnel or destroy or damage vehicles. A mine placed at sea (formerly called a torpedo, see torpedo{2} (a)) is also called an marine mine and underwater mine and sometimes called a floating mine, even though it may be anchored to the floor of the sea and not actually float freely. A mine placed on land (formerly called a torpedo, see torpedo{3}), usually buried, is called a land mine.

Belonging to me; my. Used as a pronominal to me; my. Used as a pronominal adjective in the predicate; as, "Vengeance is mine; I will repay." Rom. xii. 19. Also, in the old style, used attributively, instead of my, before a noun beginning with a vowel.

To dig a mine or pit in the earth; to get ore, metals, coal, or precious stones, out of the earth; to dig in the earth for minerals; to dig a passage or cavity under anything in order to overthrow it by explosives or otherwise.

To form subterraneous tunnel or hole; to form a burrow or lodge in the earth; as, the mining cony.

To dig away, or otherwise remove, the substratum or foundation of; to lay a mine under; to sap; to undermine; hence, to ruin or destroy by slow degrees or secret means.

To dig into, for ore or metal.

To get, as metals, out of the earth by digging.

Excavation in the earth from which ores and minerals are extracted

Explosive device that explodes on contact; designed to destroy vehicles or ships or to kill or maim personnel

Get from the earth by excavation;

Lay mines;

To dig in the earth for extracting minerals

Used to refer to a thing or things belonging to or associated with the speaker

An explosive device placed in the ground

Quarries are typically used to extract building materials, such as stone, limestone, sand, and gravel.

Yes, mines can be open-pit (above ground) or underground operations depending on the material being extracted.

Yes, mines can have more extensive environmental impacts, including soil and water contamination, whereas quarries generally have a lesser but still significant impact.

Mines often have longer lifespans than quarries because the extraction and processing of ores is more complex and time-consuming.

Yes, 'mine' is also a possessive pronoun and can refer to an explosive device used in military contexts.

Yes, 'quarry' can refer to the prey pursued in hunting or a diamond-shaped pane of glass.

Both mines and quarries are subject to mining laws, but mines typically face stricter regulation due to their environmental and safety impact.

Yes, quarry workers are at risk from rockfalls, machinery accidents, and other occupational hazards.

A mine is primarily used to extract minerals, metals, and other geological materials from beneath the earth's surface.

Mines pose risks of cave-ins, gas exposure, and chemical hazards, particularly in underground operations.

Yes, both terms have historical roots with mines being ancient sources of metals and quarries being the source of stone for building throughout history.

Yes, after a quarry is abandoned, it can collect water and become a quarry lake.

Yes, 'mine' can be a verb meaning to excavate materials from the earth.

Yes, mines are associated with extracting ores and minerals, while quarries typically focus on construction materials.

Yes, as a verb, 'quarry' means to extract stone or other materials from a quarry.