Two Quarries: A Stone Pit and a Hunted Animal
A quarry is a place stone is cut from, and also the animal being hunted. The two words are entirely unrelated.
A quarry is an open excavation for stone, and also the animal being hunted. They are separate words: the pit comes from Latin *quadrare*, to square, because stone was cut into squared blocks; the prey comes from a French hunting term for the entrails given to the hounds on a hide. Same spelling, no relation.
- A stone pit. *A limestone quarry.*
- A hunted animal. *The quarry escaped.*
- To extract stone. *Quarry the hillside.*
- An object of pursuit. *Their quarry proved elusive.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | quarry | A working quarry. |
| Plural | quarries | Two quarries. |
| Verb | quarry | Quarry the stone. |
| Person | quarryman | An old quarryman. |
| Related | square | A squared block. |
How it is used in a sentence
- The two quarries are different words.One from squaring, one from hunting.
- The hunters closed on their quarry.The pursued animal.
- Quarry tiles are unglazed clay.Named from the pit.
Quarrying terms
- Face — the exposed working surface
- Overburden — soil and rock removed to reach the stone
- Bed — a natural layer in sedimentary rock
- Dimension stone — cut to specific sizes for building
- Aggregate — crushed stone for concrete and roads
The pit is from Old French *quarriere*, from Latin *quadrare*, to square. The prey is from Old French *cuiree*, entrails placed on a hide.
Are the two quarries related?
No. One comes from squaring stone, the other from a hunting term for the reward given to hounds.
What are quarry tiles?
Unglazed clay floor tiles, named from the quarry, though most are now made from extruded clay rather than cut stone.