mine

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 ]

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 ]

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 ]

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