quarry
Other forms: quarries; quarried; quarrying
Both meanings of quarry have to do with going after something. An animal being hunted is called quarry, and when you dig a hole in the earth looking for rocks, both the digging and the hole are called quarry as well.
Gross fact: Quarry derives from the Latin cor "heart," because hunters used to drape the entrails of their chosen quarry on their dogs' backs. The origin in a word for "heart" can help you remember both quarries: a rock quarry is searching down toward the heart of the earth; a stag's heart is considered a hunter's greatest prize.
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animal hunted or caught for food
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a person who is the aim of an attack (especially a victim of ridicule or exploitation) by some hostile person or influence
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a surface excavation for extracting stone or slatetype of:excavationa hole in the ground made by excavating
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extract (something such as stones) from or as if from a quarry
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Vocabulary lists containing quarry
After committing a violent crime, Cole Matthews is given a choice: jail time or isolation on a remote Alaskan island. Clinging to life after a savage bear attack, Cole wonders if he still has a chance at redemption.
This American classic chronicles the exploits of Huck and Jim: one is running away from an abusive father and the other is fleeing enslavement. Read the full text here.
Travel back to the days of the pharaohs by studying this list of terms related to ancient Egypt. If it's all hieroglyphics to you, now's your chance to learn all about mummies, pyramids, and the mysterious sphinx.