mining

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
mine1

▶possessive pronoun referring to a thing or things belonging to or associated with the speaker. ▶possessive determiner archaic (used before a vowel) my.

– origin OE mīn, of Gmc origin; rel. to me1.

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
mine2

▶noun

• 1 an excavation in the earth for extracting coal or other minerals.

  ■ an abundant source of something: a mine of information.

• 2 a type of bomb placed on or in the ground or water, which detonates on contact.

  ■ historical a subterranean passage tunnelled under the wall of a besieged fortress, in which explosives were placed.

▶verb

• 1 obtain from a mine.

  ■ excavate for coal or other minerals.

  ■ analyse (a database) to generate new information.

• 2 lay a mine or mines on or in.

  ■ destroy by means of a mine or mines.

– derivatives
mineable (also minable) adjective,
mining noun.

– origin ME: from OFr. mine (n.), miner (v.), perh. of Celtic origin.