Mine

Pronunciation

• enPR: mÄ«n, IPA: /maɪn/
• Rhymes: -aɪn

Old English mīn.

Full definition of mine

Pronoun

1. Form of Non-premodifying possessive case. My; belonging to me; that which belongs to me.

Usage notes

My and mine are essentially two forms of the same word, with my being used attributively before the noun, and mine being used in all other cases; hence:

No, that's not my car. (attributive use)

That car next to it isn't mine, either. (predicative use)

Mine is the one over there, on the far right. (substantive use)

Mine for only a week so far, it already feels like an old friend. (absolute use)

In use, this word is occasionally used attributively after the noun, in which case the form mine is used:

a1611, William Shakespeare, , Act V, Scene 1,

… Flesh and blood,
You, brother mine, that entertain'd ambition,
…

In the above respects, this word is analogous to most of the other possessive pronouns, as well as a number of other noun modifiers, such as lone/alone.

Historically, my came to be used only before a consonant sound, and later came to be used regardless of the following sound. Nonetheless, mine still sees archaic pre-vocalic use:

1862 February, Julia Ward Howe, "", in The Atlantic Monthly, Volume IX, Number LII, page 10,

Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord:
…

From Middle English, from Old French mine, from Late Latin mina, from Gaulish (compare to Welsh mwyn, Irish míanach ("ore")), from Proto-Celtic *mēnis ("ore, metal").

Noun

1. An excavation from which ore or solid minerals are taken, especially one consisting of underground tunnels.This diamond comes from a mine in South Africa.He came out of the coal mine with a face covered in black.Most coal and ore comes from open-pit mines nowadays.
2. (military) A passage dug toward or underneath enemy lines, which is then packed with explosives.
3. (military) A device intended to explode when stepped upon or touched, or when approached by a ship, vehicle, or person.His left leg was blown off after he stepped on a mine.The warship was destroyed by floating mines.
4. (pyrotechnics) A type of firework that explodes on the ground, shooting sparks upward.
5. (entomology) The cavity made by a caterpillar while feeding inside a leaf.

Derived terms

Verb

1. (ambitransitive) To remove (ore) from the ground.Crater of Diamonds State Park is the only place in the world where visitors can mine their own diamonds.
2. To dig into, for ore or metal.
• UreLead veins have been traced ... but they have not been mined.
3. (transitive) To sow mines (the explosive devices) in (an area).We had to slow our advance after the enemy mined the road ahead of us.
4. (transitive) To damage (a vehicle or ship) with a mine (an explosive device).
5. (intransitive) To dig a tunnel or hole; to burrow in the earth.the mining cony
6. To dig away, or otherwise remove, the substratum or foundation of; to lay a mine under; to sap; to undermine; hence, to ruin or destroy by slow degrees or secret means.
• HaywardThey mined the walls.
• Sir Walter ScottToo lazy to cut down these immense trees, the spoilers ... had mined them, and placed a quantity of gunpowder in the cavity.

Derived terms

• miner
• mining

Borrowing from fr {{2}}.

Noun

1. Alternative form of mien

Anagrams

• mien, Mien; nime