1. [n]  explosive device that explodes on contact; designed to destroy vehicles or ships or to kill or maim personnel
2. [n]  excavation in the earth from which ores and minerals are extracted
3. [v]  lay mines; "The Vietnamese mined Cambodia"
4. [v]  get from the earth; of ores and metals

1. \Mine\, n. [F.]
   See {Mien}. [Obs.]
   
   

2. \Mine\, pron. & a. [OE. min, fr. AS. m[=i]n; akin to D.
   mijn, OS., OFries., & OHG. m[=i]n, G. mein, Sw. & Dan. min,
   Icel. minn, Goth. meins my, mine, meina of me, and E. me.
   ????. See {Me}, and cf. {My}.]
   Belonging to me; my. Used as a pronominal to me; my. Used as
   a pronominal adjective in the predicate; as, ``Vengeance is
   mine; I will repay.'' --Rom. xii. 19. Also, in the old style,
   used attributively, instead of my, before a noun beginning
   with a vowel.
   
         I kept myself from mine iniquity.        --Ps. xviii.
                                                  23.
   
   Note: Mine is often used absolutely, the thing possessed
         being understood; as, his son is in the army, mine in
         the navy.
   
               When a man deceives me once, says the Italian
               proverb, it is his fault; when twice, it is mine.
                                                  --Bp. Horne.
   
               This title honors me and mine.     --Shak.
   
               She shall have me and mine.        --Shak.
   
   

3. \Mine\, v. i. [F. miner, L. minare to drive animals, in LL.
   also, to lead, conduct, dig a mine (cf. E. lode, and lead to
   conduct), akin to L. minari to threaten; cf. Sp. mina mine,
   conduit, subterraneous canal, a spring or source of water,
   It. mina. See {Menace}, and cf. {Mien}.]
   1. To dig a mine or pit in the earth; to get ore, metals,
      coal, or precious stones, out of the earth; to dig in the
      earth for minerals; to dig a passage or cavity under
      anything in order to overthrow it by explosives or
      otherwise.
   
   2. To form subterraneous tunnel or hole; to form a burrow or
      lodge in the earth; as, the mining cony.
   
   

4. \Mine\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Mined}; p. pr. & vb. n.
   {Mining}.]
   1. 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.
   
            They mined the walls.                 --Hayward.
   
            Too lazy to cut down these immense trees, the
            spoilers . . . had mined them, and placed a quantity
            of gunpowder in the cavity.           --Sir W.
                                                  Scott.
   
   2. To dig into, for ore or metal.
   
            Lead veins have been traced . . . but they have not
            been mined.                           --Ure.
   
   3. To get, as metals, out of the earth by digging.
   
            The principal ore mined there is the bituminous
            cinnabar.                             --Ure.
   
   

5. \Mine\, n. [F., fr. LL. mina. See {Mine}, v. i.]
   1. A subterranean cavity or passage; especially:
      (a) A pit or excavation in the earth, from which metallic
          ores, precious stones, coal, or other mineral
          substances are taken by digging; -- distinguished from
          the pits from which stones for architectural purposes
          are taken, and which are called quarries.
      (b) (Mil.) A cavity or tunnel made under a fortification
          or other work, for the purpose of blowing up the
          superstructure with some explosive agent.
   
   
   
   2. Any place where ore, metals, or precious stones are got by
      digging or washing the soil; as, a placer mine.
   
   
   
   3. Fig.: A rich source of wealth or other good. --Shak.
   
   {Mine dial}, a form of magnetic compass used by miners.
   
   {Mine pig}, pig iron made wholly from ore; in distinction
      from cinder pig, which is made from ore mixed with forge
      or mill cinder.
   
   

The process of mining is described in Job 28:1-11. Moses speaks of the mineral wealth of Palestine (Deut. 8:9). Job 28:4 is rightly thus rendered in the Revised Version, "He breaketh open a shaft away from where men sojourn; they are forgotten of the foot [that passeth by]; they hang afar from men, they swing to and fro." These words illustrate ancient mining operations.