mine

UK: maɪn | US: maɪn

Definition

  1. pron. belonging to me

  2. n. an excavation for extracting minerals or ores

  3. vt. to extract (minerals or ores) from the earth

Structure
min <ore, from Old English "min">
Etymology

The word "mine" as a possessive pronoun originates from Old English "mīn," a Germanic root meaning "my" or "belonging to me." The noun and verb forms derive from Old French "mine" (ore deposit), likely of Celtic origin, referring to mineral extraction. The silent "e" in Modern English preserves the spelling but does not affect pronunciation.

Examples

  1. This book is mine, not yours.

  2. They discovered a gold mine in the mountains.

  3. The company plans to mine copper in Chile.

  4. His sarcastic remarks were a mine of irritation.

  5. She mined the data for useful insights.