mine¹ / mīn/ • possessive pron. used to refer to a thing or things belonging to or associated with the speaker: you go your way and I'll go mine some friends of mine.• possessive adj. archaic (used before a vowel) my: tears did fill mine eyes.mine² • n. 1. an excavation in the earth for extracting coal or other minerals: a copper mine. ∎  [in sing.] an abundant source of something: the book contains a mine of information.2. a type of bomb placed on or just below the surface of the ground or in the water that detonates when disturbed by a person, vehicle, or ship. ∎  hist. a subterranean passage under the wall of a besieged fortress, esp. one in which explosives are put to blow up fortifications.• v. [tr.] (often be mined) 1. obtain (coal or other minerals) from a mine. ∎  dig in (the earth) for coal or other minerals: the hills were mined for copper oxide | [intr.] many financiers managed to obtain concessions to mine for silver. ∎  dig or burrow in (the earth). ∎ fig. delve into (an abundant source) to extract something of value, esp. information or skill: how do they manage to mine such a rich vein of talent?2. lay explosive mines on or just below the surface of (the ground or water): the area was heavily mined. ∎  destroy by means of an explosive mine.DERIVATIVES: mine·a·ble / ˈmīnəbəl/ (also min·a·ble) adj.

mine Excavation from which minerals (mainly coal and metal ores) are extracted. Underground mines are of two main types: shaft mines and drift mines. Shafts are sunk vertically in the Earth's crust until they reach the depth of the seams to be exploited, which are then reached by tunnels or galleries. Drift mines are generally shallower, the seams being reached by a drift, or gradually sloping shaft, which leads on to a gallery system. In open-cast mining, the seams are near or on the surface and are exposed by giant dragline machines that dig away the topsoil; this is also called strip mining.

mine1 poss. pron. OE. mīn = OS., OHG. mīn (Du. mijn, G. mein), ON. minn, Goth. meins :- Gmc. *mīnaz, f. IE. locative *mei of me ME1 + adj. suffix *-no-. In XIII the final n of the adj. was already dropped before a cons. in southern and midland Eng.; but it was retained in the north, and survived till XV in Sc. See MY.

mine2 dig in the earth for ore, coal, etc. XIII. — (O)F. miner, perh. orig. Gallo-Rom. deriv. of a Celt. word repr. by Ir., Gael. mein ore, mine, W. mwyn ore, † mine.
So (or hence) mine sb. excavation for mining; † mineral, ore XIV. miner (-ER2) maker of underground mines XIII; excavator for mineral XIV.

mine Concealed or buried explosive device detonated through contact with individuals or vehicles. Underwater mines are used either to protect or to blockade coastal areas.