quarry

views updated May 23 2018

quar·ry1 / ˈkwôrē; ˈkwä-/ • n. (pl. -ries) a place, typically a large, deep pit, from which stone or other materials are or have been extracted.• v. (-ries, -ried) [tr.] extract (stone or other materials) from a quarry. ∎  cut into (rock or ground) to obtain stone or other materials.quar·ry2 • n. (pl. -ries) an animal pursued by a hunter, hound, predatory mammal, or bird of prey. ∎  a thing or person that is chased or sought: the security police crossed the border in pursuit of their quarry.quar·ry3 • n. (pl. -ries) 1. (also quar·rel) a diamond-shaped pane of glass as used in lattice windows. 2. (also quarry tile) an unglazed floor tile.

Quarry

views updated Jun 11 2018

540. Quarry

  1. Cerynean stag captured by Hercules as third Labor. [Gk. and Rom. Myth.: Hall, 149]
  2. Cretan bull savage bull caught by Hercules as seventh Labor. [Gk. and Rom. Myth.: Hall, 149]
  3. Erymanthian boar Hercules fourth Labor: to take this ravaging beast alive. [Gk. and Rom. Myth.: Hall, 149]
  4. fetching Cerberus Hercules twelfth Labor: capture the Hadean watchdog. [Gk. and Rom. Myth.: Hall, 150]
  5. Moby Dick pursued by Ahab and crew of Pequod. [Am. Lit.: Moby Dick ]
  6. Nemean lion awesome beast strangled by Hercules as first Labor. [Gk. and Rom. Myth.: Hall, 148]
  7. Old Ben great bear; subject of annual quest by mature men. [Am. Lit.: The Bear in Six Modern Short Novels ]
  8. oxen of Geryon captured after tremendous obstacles overcome; Hercules tenth Labor. [Gk. and Rom. Myth.: Hall, 149]
  9. snark elusive imaginary animal. [Br. Lit.: The Hunting of the Snark ]
  10. Wolfman metamorphosed man hunted down by armed men as wild beast. [Am. Lit.: Wolfman ]

quarry

views updated Jun 11 2018

quarry1 parts of a deer placed on the hide and given to the hounds; collection of deer killed XIV; animal hunted or hawked at XV. ME. quirre, querre — AN. *quire, *quere, OF. cuiree (mod. curée), alt., by crossing with cuir leather and curer cleanse, spec. disembowel (:- L. curāre CURE), of couree :- Rom. *corāta entrails, f. cor HEART; see -Y5.

quarry

views updated May 14 2018

quarry3 square tile, etc. XVI; †square-headed arrow: pane of glass XVII. alt. of QUARREL1, prob. after †quarry square (XIII–XVII) — OF. quarré (mod. carré):- L. quadrātus QUADRAT.

quarry

views updated May 17 2018

quarry an animal which is being hunted. Originally, the term denoted the parts of a deer that were placed on the hide and given as a reward to the hounds; the word comes (in Middle English) from Old French cuiree, an alteration, influenced by cuir ‘leather’ and curer ‘clean, disembowel’, of couree, based on Latin cor ‘heart’.

quarry

views updated May 17 2018

quarry2 open-air excavation from which stone is obtained. XV. — medL. quarreia, shortened var. of quareria = OF. quarriere (mod. carrière). f. *quarre :- L. quadrum square.
Hence vb. XVIII.

quarrying

views updated May 08 2018

quarrying See GLACIAL PLUCKING.

quarrying

views updated May 29 2018

quarrying See glacial plucking.

Quarry

views updated Jun 27 2018

Quarry

a heap of deer killed at a hunt, 1400; a heap of dead men, 1589.

Examples : quarry of the dead, 1603; quarry of piled vanities, 1633.