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Excavation vs Quarry - What's the difference?

excavation | quarry | Related terms |

As nouns the difference between excavation and quarry

is that excavation is the act of excavating, or of making hollow, by cutting, scooping, or digging out a part of a solid mass while quarry is a site for mining stone, limestone or slate.

As a verb quarry is

to obtain (mine) stone by extraction from a quarry.

excavation

English

Noun

  • (uncountable) The act of excavating, or of making hollow, by cutting, scooping, or digging out a part of a solid mass.
  • (countable) A cavity formed by cutting, digging, or scooping.
  • (countable) An uncovered cutting in the earth, in distinction from a covered cutting or tunnel.
  • (countable) The material dug out in making a channel or cavity.
  • (uncountable) Archaeological research that unearths buildings, tombs and objects of historical value.
  • (countable) A site where an archaeological exploration is being carried out.
  • quarry

    English

    (wikipedia quarry)

    Etymology 1

    From quarreria (1266), literally a "place where stones are squared", from (etyl) quadrare "to square", itself from quadra 'a square'

    Noun

    (quarries)
  • A site for mining stone, limestone or slate.
  • ''Michelangelo personally quarried marble from the world-famous quarry at Carrara
  • *
  • There was a good quarry of limestone on the farm

    Verb

  • To obtain (mine) stone by extraction from a quarry.
  • ''Michelangelo personally quarried marble from the world-famous quarry at Carrara.
  • (figuratively) To extract or slowly obtain by long, tedious searching.
  • ''They quarried out new, interesting facts about ancient Egypt from old papyri.
    Synonyms
    * (obtain stone by extraction) mine * (extract by search) dig (up)
    Derived terms
    * quarrying (noun)

    Etymology 2

    From quirre "entrails of deer placed on the hide and given to dogs of the chase as a reward," from (etyl) quirreie, from (etyl) cuiriee, altered (influenced by (etyl) cuir "skin," from (etyl) corium "hide"), from "viscera, entrails," from corata "entrails," from (etyl) cor "heart."

    Noun

    (quarries)
  • An animal which is hunted, notably mammal or bird.
  • A part of the entrails of a hunted animal, given to the hounds.
  • An object of search or pursuit.
  • * ''A US State Department website advertised a reward of up to $1m (£500,000) for the capture of its quarry , who was described as 5ft 11in (180cm) tall, with a pale complexion, "a moustache and a long, heavy beard that is starting to grey". - BBC News website, 27 April 2007
  • Synonyms
    * mark * prey * target

    Verb

  • To secure prey; to prey, as a vulture or harpy.
  • (rfquotek, L'Estrange)

    Etymology 3

    An alteration of quarrel

    Noun

    (quarries)
  • A diamond-shaped tile or pane, notably of glass or stone