mine
gb/mˈaɪn/ us/mˈaɪn/
A1
English
~ 2200
Senses
0 senses
pronoun
A1
relation
1
something that belongs to me
Shows that something belongs to me.
Usage pattern:
[something] is mine
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'mine' with 'my'. 'Mine' is used without a noun after it, while 'my' must be followed by a noun.
Synonyms
my own (More emphatic or explicit form of possession compared to 'mine'.)
Antonyms
yours (Indicates possession by the person spoken to, opposite of 'mine'.)
Collocations
mine alone
|mine forever
|mine to keep
Themes
daily life
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- That book on the table is mine.
- This seat is mine, not yours.
- The idea was mine from the start.
- Is this pen yours or mine?
- All the credit for the project is mine.
Learner examples
- This bag is mine.
- The red car is mine.
- That phone is mine.
- This house is mine.
- Is this coat mine?
Noun
A2
entity
2
place for extracting minerals
A place in the ground where people dig out coal, gold, or other things.
Usage pattern:
work in a mine
Common mistake:
Some learners confuse 'mine' with 'mines' (plural) or 'miner' (a person who works in a mine).
Synonyms
quarry (A place where stone or other materials are extracted; not always underground like many mines.)
Antonyms
factory (A place where goods are made rather than raw materials extracted.)
Collocations
coal mine
|gold mine
|open-pit mine
|abandoned mine
Themes
industry
|geography
|work
|science
Examples
- The workers spent all day in the coal mine.
- They discovered a new gold mine in the region.
- The mine has been closed for safety reasons.
- He comes from a mining town near the old copper mine.
Learner examples
- My uncle works in a coal mine.
- They found gold in the mine.
- The mine is very deep.
- The mine closed last year.
Noun
technical
B1
entity
3
explosive device hidden in ground or sea
A bomb hidden in the ground or water that explodes when someone touches it or goes near it.
Usage pattern:
step on a mine
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'mine' (explosive) with 'mine' (place for digging minerals). Context is important.
Synonyms
bomb (A general term for an explosive device; not necessarily hidden like a mine.)
Antonyms
safe zone (An area free from explosives.)
Collocations
land mine
|sea mine
|clear mines
Themes
military
|safety
|law
|science
Examples
- Soldiers were trained to detect and remove mines.
- The area was dangerous because of land mines.
- Ships must avoid waters known to have sea mines.
Learner examples
- The soldier saw a land mine.
- There are many mines in the field.
- They removed the mines from the road.
Verb
B1
action
4
take minerals from ground
To dig into the ground to take out coal, gold, or other things.
Usage pattern:
to mine [resource] from [place]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'mine' as a verb with 'dig'; 'mine' specifically means to dig for valuable materials.
Synonyms
extract (More general; can refer to taking out substances from any source, not just the earth.)
Antonyms
bury (To put something into the ground rather than remove it.)
Collocations
mine coal
|mine gold
|mine for diamonds
Themes
industry
|work
|science
Examples
- They plan to mine copper in this region.
- Gold was mined here for over a century.
- The company mines coal from several sites.
Learner examples
- They mine coal here.
- We will mine gold from the hill.
- People mine diamonds in Africa.
Grammar
Dictionary form
mine
IPA
GB/mˈaɪn/
US/mˈaɪn/
Syllables & stress
mine (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (mine)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: mine
- Plural: mines
Verb
- Base: mine
- 3rd Person Singular: mines
- Present Participle: mining
- Past: mined
Word family
Expressions
gold mine
1/ɡˈoʊld mˈaɪn/
fixed phrase
source of great wealth or value
Something that has a lot of valuable things or useful information.
Examples
- Her book is a gold mine of information about gardening.
- That old attic turned out to be a gold mine of antiques.
land mine
1/lˈænd mˈaɪn/
fixed phrase
technical
explosive buried under ground surface
A bomb put under the ground that explodes when someone steps on it or drives over it.
Examples
- The soldiers carefully cleared the field of land mines.
- He lost his leg after stepping on a land mine.
minefield
1/mˈaɪnfˌild/
fixed phrase
area with explosives or many dangers
A place full of mines; also a situation with many hidden problems.
Examples
- Crossing that border is like walking through a minefield.
- The negotiations are a political minefield.