[mine] adj [ME min, fr. OE min--more at my] (bef. 12c): my--used before a word beginning with a vowel or h "this treasure in ~ arms --Shak." or sometimes as a modifier of a preceding noun--archaic except in an elevated style
[2]mine pron, sing or pl in constr (bef. 12c): that which belongs to me--used without a following noun as a pronoun equivalent in meaning to the adjective my [3]mine n [ME, fr. MF, fr. (assumed) VL mina, prob. of Celt origin; akin to W mwyn ore] (14c) 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 designed to destroy enemy personnel, vehicles, or ships
4: a rich source of supply [4]mine vb mined ; min.ing vt (14c) 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 ~s leaves"
4: to place military mines in, on, or under "~ a harbor"
5. a: to dig into for ore or metal b: to process for obtaining a natural constituent "~ the air for nitrogen" c: to seek valuable material in ~ vi: to dig a mine -- min.er n