Answer: What are the different definitions and uses of the word “quarry”?

[blackjackcat.livejournal.com]

with examples from Gundam Wing.

Anonymous asked: What are the different definitions and uses of the word “quarry”?

According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary people have been confused by this since the 14^th century.

The first definition of quarry we will look at is from the Middle English quirre, querre meaning entrails of game given to the hounds.

elook.org/dictionary says this first definition of quarry is "a person who is the aim of an attack (especially a victim of ridicule or exploitation) by some hostile person or influence; "he fell prey to muggers"; "everyone was fair game"; "the target of a manhunt".

The dogs barked as they chased their quarry, Heero and Duo, through the woods.

Wu Fei chased his quarry down the street, gun drawn.

The second definition of quarry, though it is just as old and also from the second century, comes from the Middle English quarey, an alteration of quarrere from Anglo-French, and from Late Latin quadrus meaning hewn (literally, squared) stone.

elook.org/dictionary says this second definition of quarry is "a surface excavation for extracting stone or slate; "a British term for `quarry' is `stone pit'".

Trowa climbed carefully down to join Quatre in the quarry.

Quatre was pleased to see that the quarry was full of the limestone that he needed for his new project.

As both versions of the word quarry are nouns, the easiest way to remember the difference is this:

One quarry involves running, while the other involves stone. Be careful not to mix these up. You wouldn’t want to write that your character was chasing after something standing solid, would you?