Definition

1. Noun:

   • An explosive device designed to explode on contact or proximity: A concealed weapon placed on or under the ground or in water to destroy vehicles, ships, or to injure or kill people.
   • An excavation in the earth for extracting ores, minerals, or other valuable materials: A system of tunnels and pits from which substances like coal, gold, or diamonds are dug.

2. Verb:

   • To lay explosive mines in an area: To place explosive devices in a location as a weapon of war or defense.
   • To dig in the earth for valuable materials: To extract ores, metals, or minerals from the ground through excavation.

Usage Examples

• Noun (explosive device):

  • The army cleared the field of land mines.
  • The ship hit a naval mine and sank.

• Noun (excavation):

  • He worked in a coal mine for twenty years.
  • The diamond mine was incredibly deep.

• Verb (lay explosives):

  • The enemy forces mined the harbor entrance.
  • The border was heavily mined during the conflict.

• Verb (extract materials):

  • The company mines copper in this region.
  • They are mining for rare earth elements.

Advanced Usage

• "to mine for information/data": To search for or extract valuable information from a large source.

  • The software mines social media for consumer trends.
  • Researchers are mining the database for patterns.

• "a mine of information": A person or thing that is a rich source of knowledge.

  • My old professor is a mine of information on medieval history.

Variants and Related Words

• Miner (n): A person who works in a mine, extracting minerals.

  • The miner descended into the shaft.

• Mining (n): The process, industry, or activity of extracting minerals from the earth.

  • Mining is a major industry in the country.

• Undermine (v): To weaken or damage gradually (etymologically related to digging underneath).

  • Constant criticism can undermine someone's confidence.

Synonyms

• Noun (explosive): Booby trap, explosive device.
• Noun (excavation): Pit, quarry, shaft.
• Verb (extract): Excavate, dig up, quarry.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Mine out: To exhaust the supply of a mineral in an area by mining.
  • The silver seam was completely mined out decades ago.

Related Idioms

• "A gold mine": Something that is a very rich or profitable source.

  • That new business idea is a potential gold mine.

• "Your guess is as good as mine": I do not know the answer either.

  • "When will the bus arrive?" "Your guess is as good as mine."

Noun

1. explosive device that explodes on contact; designed to destroy vehicles or ships or to kill or maim personnel
2. excavation in the earth from which ores and minerals are extracted

Verb

1. lay mines
   • The Vietnamese mined Cambodia
2. get from the earth by excavation
   • mine ores and metals