I.
Etymology: Middle English min, from Old English mīn, suppletive gen. of ic I; Old English mīn akin to Old High German mīn (suppletive gen. of ih I), Old Norse mīn (suppletive gen. of ek I), Gothic meina (suppletive gen. of ik I); all from a prehistoric Germanic inflectional form derived from the root of Old English mē me — more at me
obsolete
possessive of i II
II. ˈmīn adjective
Etymology: Middle English min, from Old English mīn — more at my
archaic : my — used as modifier of a following noun especially when it immediately precedes a word beginning with a vowel or h
mine eyes
mine own true love
mine host
mine hour is not yet come — Jn 2:4 (Authorized Version)
or sometimes as a modifier of a preceding noun
mother mine
or as the first of two possessive adjectives modifying the same following noun
mine and your ticket — Sydney Smith
III. pronoun, singular or plural in construction
Etymology: Middle English min, from Old English mīn, from mīn, adjective, my — more at my
1. : my one or my ones — used without a following noun as a pronoun equivalent in meaning to the adjective my
your dog is large and mine is small
your eyes are blue and mine are brown
— often used after of to single out one or more members of a class belonging to or connected with the one speaking or writing
a friend of mine
four or five books of mine
or merely to identify something or someone as belonging to or connected with one speaking or writing without any implication of membership in a more extensive class
those big feet of mine
that preoccupied manner of mine
2. : something belonging to me : what belongs to me
vengeance is mine , I will repay, says the Lord — Rom 12:19 (Revised Standard Version)
IV. noun
( -s )
Usage: often attributive
Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French, from (assumed) Vulgar Latin mina, probably of Celtic origin; akin to Welsh mwyn ore
1.
a.
(1) : a pit or excavation in the earth from which mineral substances (as ores, precious stones, or coal) are taken by digging or by some other method of extraction
a gold mine
an asphalt mine
— compare opencut , quarry
(2) : such a pit or excavation together with the land, buildings, and machinery belonging to it
b. : an ore deposit
newly discovered mine
2. Britain : something that is mined : mineral ore ; especially : iron ore
3.
a. : a subterranean passage excavated under the wall of a besieged fortress and designed to give access to the besiegers or to cause the wall to fall as a result of the removal of its foundation
b.
(1) : a cavity or excavation in the earth under an enemy position and containing an explosive charge for destroying enemy personnel, material, or works
(2) : the explosive charge placed in such a cavity or excavation
c. : an encased explosive anchored or floating in water or placed on or under the earth that may be detonated by contact, the passage of time, magnetic force, sound waves, or controlled means and designed to destroy or damage personnel or an object (as a boat, airplane, or vehicle) — compare acoustic 1c, aerial mine , antipersonnel , contact III 1, land mine , magnetic mine , sonic mine
4. : a rich source of supply : an abundant store from which something may be obtained in plenty
this book … is a mine of curious and interesting information — R.S.Churchill
intellectually he was an inexhaustible mine of sympathy — W.J.Locke
the window is a favorite mine of motives for artists to exploit — Henry Adams
5. : a place where ore, metals, or precious stones are obtained by digging or washing the soil
a placer mine
6. : a pyrotechnic piece comprising various small fireworks (as stars) that are scattered into the air with a loud report
7. : a gallery made by an insect especially between the surfaces of a leaf
V. verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English minen, from Middle French miner, from Old French, from mine, n. — more at mine IV
intransitive verb
1. : to dig in the earth especially for the purpose of constructing a mine under an enemy fortification
they began to mine under the castle — Richard Grafton
2. : to dig a mine : to get ore, metals, coal, or precious stones out of the earth : to work in a mine
transitive verb
1.
a. : to dig under for the purpose of gaining access through or causing the collapse of (as the walls of an enemy fortification)
b. : to attack, ruin, or destroy by slow and secret means : undermine
2.
a. : to get (as ore, metal, or other natural constituent) from the earth (as by digging, blasting, or pumping)
to mine oil shale
to mine ground water
to mine gold
b. : to extract from a usually rich source of supply
novels … from which more skillful dramatizers have been able to mine good theatrical plays — London Calling
3. : to dig or make a hollow in : burrow beneath the surface of
a larva that mines leaves
4.
a. : to place an explosive charge in or under for the purpose of destroying (as an enemy fortification)
b. : to lay military mines in (as water) : place mines in or under (as land)
5. : to furnish with underground passages : make subterranean passages under
6.
a. : to dig into (as the ground) for ore or metal
b. : to process for obtaining a natural constituent
mine the air for nitrogen
mine sea water for magnesium
c. : to dig into (a usually rich source of supply) for the purpose of obtaining items of use or value
the many historical novels that have mined the rich vein of history in upstate New York — American Guide Series: New York
so far mined only a fraction of the cultural treasures of those times — Saturday Review
7.
a. : to crop (as land) repeatedly without applying fertilizer
b. or mine out : to deplete the riches or resources from (a source of supply) without making any provision for replenishment
a system … which will increase its productivity instead of mining its wealth — Elspeth Huxley
has … scholarship at last mined out the field — T.H.Williams