quarrying

noun

quar·ry·ing | \ ˈkwȯr-ē-iŋ

How to pronounce quarrying (audio)

, ˈkwär- \

Definition of quarrying

: the business, occupation, or act of extracting useful material (such as building stone) from quarries

Examples of quarrying in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Extractive industries—including mining, quarrying, oil, and gas—are dominant. — Eli Cahan, Science | AAAS, "In Wyoming, an ecologist seeks a new niche as a U.S. senator," 19 Oct. 2020 Oil and gas extraction, along with mining and quarrying, generated $268 billion, which, at 15 percent, is the greatest share of the state’s annual GDP. — Popular Science, "The pandemic could end Texas’s oil boom—and start something better," 5 Oct. 2020 West Woods is a six square kilometer (four square mile) plateau, partially wooded and dotted with large sarsen boulders and pits from millennia of quarrying. — Kiona N. Smith, Ars Technica, "Archaeologists find the source of Stonehenge sarsen stones," 30 July 2020 The trail -- including portions of the historic William H. Hunt estate and the remains of several 19th-century quarrying operations -- follows Hemlock Creek and showcases century-old oaks, waterfalls, sandstone ledges and former industrial sites. — cleveland, "West Creek Conservancy cultivates partnerships to ensure public access to healthy ecosystems," 22 May 2020 Over 28% of the county’s workforce is employed in the mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction sector, compared to 0.5% of the national workforce. — Samuel Stebbins, USA TODAY, "New York, Gilpin are among the places a COVID-19 recession will likely hit hardest," 9 Apr. 2020 Partially offsetting those gains was a 1.4% decline in the mining, quarrying and oil and gas extraction sector and a 0.9% contraction in the transportation and warehousing sector. — Kim Mackrael, WSJ, "Canadian Economy Expanded Slightly in November," 31 Jan. 2020 The discoveries were made by archaeological contractor Archaeological Solutions ahead of a large quarrying project. — Fox News, "'Extraordinary' trove of ancient spearheads, daggers, knives and axe heads discovered in London," 26 Oct. 2019 Gradually, the forest was stripped of its greenery, thanks to rampant tree felling and stone quarrying. — Pragati Prava, Quartz India, "An Odisha village woman’s journey from protecting peacocks to the Indian parliament," 26 Jan. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'quarrying.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about quarrying

Dictionary Entries near quarrying

quarrystone bond

Statistics for quarrying

Cite this Entry

“Quarrying.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quarrying. Accessed 2 Mar. 2021.

Style: MLA

MLA

Chicago

APA

Merriam-Webster

Keep scrolling for more

Comments on quarrying

What made you want to look up quarrying? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

WORD OF THE DAY

organoleptic

Listen to the pronunciation of organoleptic

See Definitions and Examples »

Get Word of the Day daily email!

Test Your Vocabulary

February 2021 Words of the Day Quiz

Which is a synonym of perdure?

Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

Universal Daily Crossword

A daily challenge for crossword fanatics.

TAKE THE QUIZ