plural quarries
plural quarries
1
: an open excavation usually for obtaining building stone, slate, or limestone
2
: a rich source
quarried; quarrying
1
: to dig or take from or as if from a quarry
quarry marble
2
: to make a quarry in
quarry a hill
: to delve in or as if in a quarry
Examples of quarry in a Sentence
Noun (1)
a hunter relentlessly tracking his quarry
Verb
an area where workers are quarrying for limestone
Recent Examples on the Web
Christopher Gangemi, New Yorker, 21 May 2026
The city of Gary is ready to begin conversations about repurposing an about 114-acre former quarry, said Brenda Scott-Henry, director of sustainability and environmental affairs.
—Maya Wilkins, Chicago Tribune, 16 May 2026
Heide Brandes, Bon Appetit Magazine, 13 May 2026
The monument remains a sacred native site for quarrying pipestone after more than 3,000 years.
—Katy Spratte Joyce, Midwest Living, 7 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for quarry
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Noun
The random, tireless way this bird beats its head into its quarry is symbolic of, and perfect for, our times.
—Christopher Gangemi, New Yorker, 21 May 2026
The city of Gary is ready to begin conversations about repurposing an about 114-acre former quarry, said Brenda Scott-Henry, director of sustainability and environmental affairs.
—Maya Wilkins, Chicago Tribune, 16 May 2026
Verb
Fifty miles west of Tulsa in Stroud, the Rock Cafe opened in 1939 from sandstone quarried out of Route 66’s own roadbed.
—Heide Brandes, Bon Appetit Magazine, 13 May 2026
The monument remains a sacred native site for quarrying pipestone after more than 3,000 years.
—Katy Spratte Joyce, Midwest Living, 7 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for quarry
Cite this Entry
“Quarry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quarry. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
quarry
1 of 3 noun
quar·ry
ˈkwȯr-ē 
ˈkwär-
plural quarries
1
: an animal hunted as game or prey
2
: something sought or chased after
quarry
2 of 3 noun
plural quarries
: an open pit usually for obtaining building stone, slate, or limestone
quarry
3 of 3 verb
quarried; quarrying
1
: to dig or take from or as if from a quarry
2
: to make a quarry in
quarrier
noun
Etymology
Noun
Middle English querre "the part of a game animal given to the hounds," from early French cureie, quereie (same meaning), from cuir "skin, hide" (on which the animal parts were placed), from Latin corium (same meaning)
Noun
Middle English quarey, an altered form of quarrere "a place for digging stones for use in building," from Latin quadrus "hewn stone," literally, "squared stone," from Latin quadrum "a square"
Word Origin
The quarry a hunter chases is not related to the quarry that supplies building stones. The word for a hunter's quarry can be traced back to a ceremony that was once part of every successful hunt. The hounds used for chasing the game were rewarded after the kill by being allowed to eat part of the dead animal, which was given to them on a piece of hide. The French word for this hounds' share was cureie or quereie, which was borrowed into Middle English as querre. The word later came to be used for the live game animal itself. Now a quarry is anything that is pursued.
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