n. & v.
—n. (pl. -ies)
1 an excavation made by taking stone etc. for building etc. from its bed.
2 a place from which stone etc. may be extracted.
3 a source of information, knowledge, etc.
—v. (-ies, -ied)
1 tr. extract (stone) from a quarry.
2 tr. extract (facts etc.) laboriously from books etc.
3 intr. laboriously search documents etc.
Etymology: ME f. med.L quare(r)ia f. OF quarriere f. L quadrum square
2.
n. (pl. -ies)
1 the object of pursuit by a bird of prey, hounds, hunters, etc.
2 an intended victim or prey.
Etymology: ME f. AF f. OF cuiree, couree (assim. to cuir leather and curer disembowel) ult. f. L cor heart: orig. = parts of deer placed on hide and given to hounds
3.
n. (pl. -ies)
1 a diamond-shaped pane of glass as used in lattice windows.
2 (in full quarry tile) an unglazed floor-tile.
Etymology: a later form of QUARREL(2) in the same sense
Useful english dictionary. 2012.