Mine

As a Pronoun

1. Something that belongs to or is associated with me.

As a Noun

1. A deep hole or tunnel in the earth used to extract minerals, metals, coal, or other valuable resources.
2. A place where a particular resource is found in abundance.
3. An explosive device placed underground or underwater, designed to detonate when triggered.

As a Verb

1. To extract minerals, metals, or other resources from the earth.
2. To dig or tunnel underground.
3. To obtain or gather information systematically (e.g., “data mining”).

As Other Form

• Miner (Noun): A person who works in a mine.
• Mining (Noun): The process of extracting resources from the earth.

Word History

The word mine comes from the Old English mīn, meaning “belonging to me” (as a pronoun), and from Old French mine, referring to an excavation. The noun usage related to resource extraction dates back to medieval times when people began digging for valuable minerals and metals. The military meaning of “mine” as an explosive device developed later, referring to buried or submerged weapons.

Examples

1. This book is mine, not yours. (Pronoun)
2. The workers extracted gold from the mine. (Noun – excavation)
3. The army detected a hidden mine on the battlefield. (Noun – explosive)
4. They plan to mine for diamonds in the region. (Verb)
5. Companies mine customer data to understand buying habits. (Verb – data collection)

Synonyms

(For Pronoun): Belonging to me, my own
(For Noun – Excavation): Quarry, pit, shaft
(For Noun – Explosive): Bomb, charge, trap
(For Verb): Extract, dig, excavate

Related Words

Ore, tunnel, excavation, resource, explosion

Antonyms

(For Pronoun): Yours, theirs
(For Verb – Extraction): Fill, cover, restore