n. [ F., fr. LL. mina. See Mine, v. i. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. A subterranean cavity or passage; especially: (a) A pit or excavation in the earth, from which metallic ores, precious stones, coal, or other mineral substances are taken by digging; -- distinguished from the pits from which stones for architectural purposes are taken, and which are called quarries. (b) (Mil.) A cavity or tunnel made under a fortification or other work, for the purpose of blowing up the superstructure with some explosive agent. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Any place where ore, metals, or precious stones are got by digging or washing the soil; as, a placer mine. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Fig.): A rich source of wealth or other good. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Mil.) 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. [ PJC ]

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) a mine where gold is obtained. (b) (Fig.) a rich source of wealth or other good; same as Mine 3. Raymond. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ F. miner, L. minare to drive animals, in LL. also, to lead, conduct, dig a mine (cf. E. lode, and lead to conduct), akin to L. minari to threaten; cf. Sp. mina mine, conduit, subterraneous canal, a spring or source of water, It. mina. See Menace, and cf. Mien. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To form subterraneous tunnel or hole; to form a burrow or lodge in the earth; as, the mining cony. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. ] See Mien. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Mined p. pr. & vb. n. Mining. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

They mined the walls. Hayward. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To dig into, for ore or metal. [ 1913 Webster ]

Lead veins have been traced . . . but they have not been mined. Ure. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To get, as metals, out of the earth by digging. [ 1913 Webster ]

The principal ore mined there is the bituminous cinnabar. Ure. [ 1913 Webster ]

pron. & a. [ OE. min, fr. AS. mīn; akin to D. mijn, OS., OFries., & OHG. mīn, G. mein, Sw. & Dan. min, Icel. minn, Goth. meins my, mine, meina of me, and E. me. √187. See Me, and cf. My. ] 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. [ 1913 Webster ]

I kept myself from mine iniquity. Ps. xviii. 23. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Mine is often used absolutely, the thing possessed being understood; as, his son is in the army, mine in the navy. [ 1913 Webster ]

When a man deceives me once, says the Italian proverb, it is his fault; when twice, it is mine. Bp. Horne. [ 1913 Webster ]

This title honors me and mine. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

She shall have me and mine. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. extracted from a source of supply as of minerals from the earth. [ Narrower terms: deep-mined; exploited; strip-mined ] [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. 1. (Mil.) a region in which explosive mines{ 4 } have been placed, especially a region on land. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. Hence: (Fig.) A situation in which a simple mistake can have disastrous consequences; a touchy or dangerous situation requiring great caution; as, the candidate threaded his way skillfully through a minefield of loaded questions from the audience. [ PJC ]

n. a ship equipped for laying underwater mines. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. The act or process of laying explosive mines in concealed places to destroy enemy personnel and equipment.
Syn. -- mining. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ Cf. F. mineur. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. One who mines; a digger for metals, etc.; one engaged in the business of getting ore, coal, or precious stones, out of the earth; one who digs military mines; as, armies have sappers and miners. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Zool.) (a) Any of numerous insects which, in the larval state, excavate galleries in the parenchyma of leaves. They are mostly minute moths and dipterous flies. (b) The chattering, or garrulous, honey eater of Australia (Myzantha garrula). [ 1913 Webster ]

Miner's elbow (Med.), a swelling on the black of the elbow due to inflammation of the bursa over the olecranon; -- so called because of frequent occurrence in miners. --
Miner's inch, in hydraulic mining, the amount of water flowing under a given pressure in a given time through a hole one inch in diameter. It is a unit for measuring the quantity of water supplied. [ 1913 Webster ]