quarry
n. C / Un. a large, deep hole in the ground where people dig out stone, sand, or minerals to use for building. It can also mean a person or animal that someone is hunting or chasing.
n. an open-pit excavation from which stone, gravel, or minerals are extracted; alternatively, an object of pursuit, such as prey or a fugitive. Uncountable when referring to the material source; countable when referring to the site or the target of a hunt.
The workers extract limestone from the local quarry.
The old granite quarry has been filled with water and is now a popular spot for local swimmers.
The detective pursued his quarry through the narrow alleys of the old city, never losing sight of the suspect despite the thickening fog.
From Middle English quarere, from Medieval Latin quarreria (1266), literally a “place where stones are squared”, from Old French quarrière (compare modern French carrière), from Vulgar Latin quadraria, from Latin quadrō (“I square”), itself from quadra (“a square”), from quattuor (“four”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European kʷetwóres (“four”).
From Middle English quyrre, querre, quirre, from Anglo-Norman quiree (“entrails of deer placed on the hide and given to dogs of the chase as a reward”) (influenced by cuir (“skin (of an animal)”), from Latin corium (“a hide”)), from coree (“entrails, viscera”), from Vulgar Latin corata (“entrails”), from Latin cor (“heart”).
Alteration of quarrel (“diamond-shaped piece of coloured glass forming part of a stained glass window; square tile”).
When referring to a place of excavation, it is countable; in the context of hunting, it typically refers to the specific animal or person being chased.