/ maɪn; NAmE / pronoun , noun , verb
■ pronoun
(the possessive form of I ) of or belonging to the person writing or speaking :
That's mine.
He's a friend of mine (= one of my friends) .
She wanted one like mine (= like I have) .
■ noun
1.
a deep hole or holes under the ground where minerals such as coal, gold, etc. are dug :
a copper / diamond mine
—see also mining , coal mine , gold mine
—compare pit , quarry
2.
a type of bomb that is hidden under the ground or in the sea and that explodes when sb/sth touches it
—see also landmine
•
IDIOMS
- a mine of information (about / on sb/sth)
■ verb
1.
to dig holes in the ground in order to find and obtain coal, diamonds, etc. :
[ vn ]
The area has been mined for slate for centuries.
[ v ]
They were mining for gold.
2.
[ vn ] to place mines noun (2) below the surface of an area of land or water; to destroy a vehicle with mines :
The coastal route had been mined.
The UN convoy was mined on its way to the border.
••
WORD ORIGIN
pronoun Old English mīn , of Germanic origin; related to me (pronoun) and to Dutch mijn and German mein .
noun and verb late Middle English : from Old French mine (noun), miner (verb), perhaps of Celtic origin; compare with Welsh mwyn ore, earlier mine.