What does quarry mean?
Quarry has two principal branches of meaning that are historically connected through the idea of seeking or pursuing something. As a noun, it can refer to an animal or person being hunted, especially by a predator or pursuer. In this sense, it is often dramatic and evokes pursuit, escape, and a fixed target. A quarry can also mean a place where stone, rock, or minerals are removed from the ground; this is the modern sense most likely to be encountered in industrial, geographical, and environmental contexts. As a verb, quarry means to hunt or pursue a target, and it is especially natural in descriptions of predators and organized hunts. The word is precise where broader terms such as prey, target, mine, or hunt would be less exact. Its unusual range—from a living target to a landscape feature—makes it a striking example of how language can preserve several related meanings while also developing distinct specialized uses.
An animal or person being hunted or pursued; also, a place where stone, rock, or other material is extracted from the ground.
"The escaped prisoner became the quarry of the search party."
The mining sense is usually used for a site where stone is quarried, especially limestone, granite, or other building stone.
To hunt, pursue, or track down an animal or person, especially as a target.
"The wolves hunted the deer across the open snow."
This is less common in general modern English than hunt or pursue, but remains idiomatic in hunting, predatory, and narrative contexts.
Use quarries for multiple hunted targets or for multiple extraction sites. The pronunciation changes to /ˈkwɒriz/ in British English and /ˈkwɔːriz/ in US English.
"The valley contains several abandoned quarries."
One word can mean both the hunted target and the place where stone is dug: the fox was the quarry, and the quarry was full of limestone.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does quarry come from?
The hunting senses of quarry derive through Old French carree, a hunting term related to the action of seeking or pursuing game, ultimately connected with Latin quaerere, “to seek.” The word entered Middle English in this sense. The separate mining sense developed from Latin quadraria, a place where stone was dug, associated with quattuor, “four,” perhaps referring to the traditional division of a quarry into four parts. The modern verb continues the older hunting sense.
Related word forms
How quarry is actually used
In the hunting sense, quarry is standard in British and American English but is less common in everyday conversation than prey or target. The mining sense refers primarily to a place where stone is extracted, rather than to the act of extracting it. The verb is less frequent than hunt and pursue in modern usage.
Easily confused with quarry
A quarry is the animal or person being hunted, whereas a prize is the reward or capture obtained by a successful hunt or contest.
As a verb, quarry means to hunt or pursue a target; as a noun, a quarry can mean either the target itself or the place where stone is extracted.