D defs.my
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Entry 11 senses · 5 variants Webster, 1913

Mine

/(mēn)/ · IPA /maɪ̯n/
01 n. See Mien.
  1. 1.
    See Mien.[Obs.] See: Mien
02 pron. & a. 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.…
  1. 1.
    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.
    “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.
03 v. i. 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…
  1. 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. 2.
    To form subterraneous tunnel or hole; to form a burrow or lodge in the earth; as, the mining cony.
04 v. t. 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 …
imp. & p. p. Mined; p. pr. & vb. n. Mining
  1. 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. 2.
    To dig into, for ore or metal.
    “Lead veins have been traced . . . but they have not been mined.” — Ure.
  3. 3.
    To get, as metals, out of the earth by digging.
    “The principal ore mined there is the bituminous cinnabar.” — Ure.
05 n. A subterranean cavity or passage
  1. 1.
    A subterranean cavity or passage(Mil.)
  2. 2.
    Any place where ore, metals, or precious stones are got by digging or washing the soil; as, a placer mine.
  3. 3.
    A rich source of wealth or other good.(Fig.)
  4. 4.
    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.(Mil.) Also: torpedo, torpedo See: torpedo, torpedo
Phrases & compounds
Mine dial — a form of magnetic compass used by miners.
Mine pig — pig iron made wholly from ore; in distinction from cinder pig, which is made from ore mixed with forge or mill cinder.
gold mine — a mine where gold is obtained.