Adjacent Words

Mine definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

MINE, a. called sometimes a pronominal adj. [L. meus.]
My; belonging to me. It was formerly used before nouns beginning with vowels. "I kept myself from mine iniquity." Psalms 18. But this use is no longer retained. We now use my before a vowel as well as before an articulation; as my iniquity. In present usage, my always precedes the noun, and mine follows the noun, and usually the verb; as, this is my book; this book is mine; it is called my book; the book is called mine: it is acknowledged to be mine.
Mine sometimes supplies the place of a noun. Your sword and mine are different in construction.
MINE, n.
1. A pit or excavation in the earth, from which metallic ores, mineral substances and other fossil bodies are taken by digging. The pits from which stones only are taken, are called quarries.
2. In the military art, a subterraneous canal or passage dug under the wall or rampart of a fortification, where a quantity of power may be lodged for blowing up the works.
3. A rich source of wealth or other good.
MINE, v.i. To dig a mine or pit in the earth.
1. To form a subterraneous canal or hole by scratching; to form a burrow or lodge in the earth, as animals; as the mining coney.
2. To practice secret means in injury.
MINE, v.t. To sap; to undermine; to dig away or otherwise remove the substratum or foundation; hence, to ruin or destroy by slow degrees or secret means.
They mined the walls.
In a metaphorical sense, undermine is generally used.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: excavation in the earth from which ores and minerals are extracted
2: explosive device that explodes on contact; designed to destroy vehicles or ships or to kill or maim personnel v
1: get from the earth by excavation; "mine ores and metals"
2: lay mines; "The Vietnamese mined Cambodia"

Merriam Webster's

I. adjective Etymology: Middle English min, from Old English m?n — more at my Date: before 12th century my — used before a word beginning with a vowel or h <this treasure in mine arms — Shakespeare> or sometimes as a modifier of a preceding noun — archaic except in an elevated style II. pronoun Usage: singular or plural in construction Date: before 12th century that which belongs to me — used without a following noun as a pronoun equivalent in meaning to the adjective my III. noun Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Vulgar Latin *mina, probably of Celtic origin; akin to Welsh mwyn ore Date: 14th century 1. a. a pit or excavation in the earth from which mineral substances are taken b. an ore deposit 2. a subterranean passage under an enemy position 3. an encased explosive that is placed in the ground or in water and set to explode when disturbed 4. a rich source of supply IV. verb (mined; mining) Date: 14th century transitive verb 1. a. to dig under to gain access or cause the collapse of (an enemy position) b. undermine 2. a. to get (as ore) from the earth b. to extract from a source <information mined from the files> 3. to burrow beneath the surface of <larva that mines leaves> 4. to place military mines in, on, or under <mine a harbor> 5. a. to dig into for ore or metal b. to process for obtaining a natural constituent <mine the air for nitrogen> c. to seek valuable material in intransitive verb to dig a mine • miner noun

U.S. Military Dictionary

1. In land mine warfare, an explosive or other material, normally encased, designed to destroy or damage ground vehicles, boats, or aircraft, or designed to wound, kill, or otherwise incapacitate personnel. It is designed to be detonated by the action of its victim, by the passage of time, or by controlled means. 2. In naval mine warfare, an explosive device laid in the water with the intention of damaging or sinking ships or of deterring shipping from entering an area. See also land mine warfare; mine warfare. (JP 3-15)

Oxford Reference Dictionary

1. poss.pron. 1 the one or ones belonging to or associated with me (it is mine; mine are over there). 2 (attrib. before a vowel) archaic = MY (mine eyes have seen; mine host). Phrases and idioms: of mine of or belonging to me (a friend of mine). Etymology: OE min f. Gmc 2. n. & v. --n. 1 an excavation in the earth for extracting metal, coal, salt, etc. 2 an abundant source (of information etc.). 3 a receptacle filled with explosive and placed in the ground or in the water for destroying enemy personnel, ships, etc. 4 a a subterranean gallery in which explosive is placed to blow up fortifications. b hist. a subterranean passage under the wall of a besieged fortress. --v.tr. 1 obtain (metal, coal, etc.) from a mine. 2 (also absol., often foll. by for) dig in (the earth etc.) for ore etc. 3 a dig or burrow in (usu. the earth). b make (a hole, passage, etc.) underground. 4 lay explosive mines under or in. 5 = UNDERMINE. Phrases and idioms: mine-detector an instrument for detecting the presence of mines. Derivatives: mining n. Etymology: ME f. OF mine, miner, perh. f. Celt.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Mine Mine, n. [F.] See Mien. [Obs.]

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Mine Mine, pron. & a. [OE. min, fr. AS. m[=i]n; akin to D. mijn, OS., OFries., & OHG. m[=i]n, G. mein, Sw. & Dan. min, Icel. minn, Goth. meins my, mine, meina of me, and E. me. ????. See Me, and cf. My.] 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. I kept myself from mine iniquity. --Ps. xviii. 23. Note: Mine is often used absolutely, the thing possessed being understood; as, his son is in the army, mine in the navy. When a man deceives me once, says the Italian proverb, it is his fault; when twice, it is mine. --Bp. Horne. This title honors me and mine. --Shak. She shall have me and mine. --Shak.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Mine Mine, n. [F., fr. LL. mina. See Mine, v. i.] 1. A subterranean cavity or passage; especially: (a) A pit or excavation in the earth, from which metallic ores, precious stones, coal, or other mineral substances are taken by digging; -- distinguished from the pits from which stones for architectural purposes are taken, and which are called quarries. (b) (Mil.) A cavity or tunnel made under a fortification or other work, for the purpose of blowing up the superstructure with some explosive agent.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Mine Mine, v. i. [F. miner, L. minare to drive animals, in LL. also, to lead, conduct, dig a mine (cf. E. lode, and lead to conduct), akin to L. minari to threaten; cf. Sp. mina mine, conduit, subterraneous canal, a spring or source of water, It. mina. See Menace, and cf. Mien.] 1. 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. 2. To form subterraneous tunnel or hole; to form a burrow or lodge in the earth; as, the mining cony.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Mine Mine, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Mined; p. pr. & vb. n. Mining.] 1. 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. They mined the walls. --Hayward. Too lazy to cut down these immense trees, the spoilers . . . had mined them, and placed a quantity of gunpowder in the cavity. --Sir W. Scott. 2. To dig into, for ore or metal. Lead veins have been traced . . . but they have not been mined. --Ure. 3. To get, as metals, out of the earth by digging. The principal ore mined there is the bituminous cinnabar. --Ure.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

I. PRONOUN USE Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English. Mine is the first person singular possessive pronoun. A speaker or writer uses mine to refer to something that belongs or relates to himself or herself. Her right hand is inches from mine... I'm looking for a friend of mine who lives here. PRON: oft n of PRON II. NOUN AND VERB USES (mines, mining, mined) 1. A mine is a place where deep holes and tunnels are dug under the ground in order to obtain a mineral such as coal, diamonds, or gold. ...coal mines. N-COUNT: oft n N 2. When a mineral such as coal, diamonds, or gold is mined, it is obtained from the ground by digging deep holes and tunnels. The pit is being shut down because it no longer has enough coal that can be mined economically. VERB: usu passive, be V-ed 3. A mine is a bomb which is hidden in the ground or in water and which explodes when people or things touch it. N-COUNT 4. If an area of land or water is mined, mines are placed there which will explode when people or things touch them. The approaches to the garrison have been heavily mined. VERB: be V-ed, also V n 5. If you say that someone is a mine of information, you mean that they know a great deal about something. PHRASE: mine inflects, usu v-link PHR 6. see also mining

Easton's Bible Dictionary

The process of mining is described in Job 28:1-11. Moses speaks of the mineral wealth of Palestine (Deut. 8:9). Job 28:4 is rightly thus rendered in the Revised Version, "He breaketh open a shaft away from where men sojourn; they are forgotten of the foot [that passeth by]; they hang afar from men, they swing to and fro." These words illustrate ancient mining operations.

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

v. a. 1. Sap, undermine. 2. Ruin, destroy (secretly).

Foolish Dictionary

A hole in the ground owned by a liar.

Moby Thesaurus

Dionaea, Eldorado, Golconda, abri, abridge, abundance, abysm, abyss, approach trench, arm, armor, armor-plate, avulse, baited trap, bank, barricade, battle, bereave, blast, bleed, blitz, blockade, blow to pieces, blow up, bomb, bombard, bonanza, booby trap, bore, bulwark, bunker, burrow, carve, castellate, chasm, chisel, coal mine, colliery, communication trench, convert, cornucopia, countermine, countersink, coupure, crenellate, cultivate, curtail, cut off, cut out, deadfall, deathtrap, decoy, deepen, delve, deposit, depositary, depository, depress, deprive, deprive of, deracinate, derive, dig, dig in, dig out, dig up, diggings, dike, disentangle, disentitle, ditch, dive, divest, double sap, drain, draw, draw out, dredge, dredge up, drill, drive, dugout, ease one of, eldorado, embattle, entrench, entrenchment, eradicate, evolve, evulse, excavate, excavation, excise, exsect, extract, extricate, fence, fire trench, firetrap, flying sap, flytrap, font, fortified tunnel, fortify, fosse, fount, fountain, fountainhead, foxhole, fund, furrow, gallery, garrison, get out, gin, gold mine, gouge, gouge out, gravy train, groove, grow, grub, grub up, gulf, harvest, headspring, headstream, headwater, hoard, honeycomb, lighten one of, lode, look through, lower, machine, mainspring, man, man the garrison, milk, mill, mine of wealth, moat, mole trap, mother lode, mousetrap, open cut, opencast, palisade, pan, pan for gold, parallel, pick out, pit, pitfall, plant a mine, pluck out, pluck up, probe, process, prospect, pull, pull out, pull up, pump, quarry, raise, rake out, ransack, rattrap, read, rear, refine, remove, repository, reserve, reservoir, resource, rich lode, rich uncle, rip out, riverhead, root out, root up, sabotage, sap, scan, scoop, scoop out, scour, scrabble, scrape, scratch, search, set gun, shaft, shovel, sink, slit trench, smelt, sonic mine, source, source of supply, spade, spring, spring gun, springhead, staple, store, storehouse, supply, survey, take away from, take from, take out, tap, tear out, trap, trapfall, treasure trove, treasure-house, treasury, trench, trigger a mine, trough, tunnel, undermine, unearth, unravel, uproot, vein, wall, wealth, weed out, well, wellhead, wellspring, withdraw, work, workings, wrest out