n. & v.
n. (pl. -ies) 1 an excavation made by taking stone etc. for building etc. from its bed. 2 a place from which stone etc. may be extracted. 3 a source of information, knowledge, etc.
v. (-ies, -ied) 1 tr. extract (stone) from a quarry. 2 tr. extract (facts etc.) laboriously from books etc. 3 intr. laboriously search documents etc.
[ ME f. med.L quare(r)ia f. OF quarriere f. L quadrum square ]