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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.

ho mines; a digger for metals, etc.; one engaged in the business of getting ore, coal, or precious stones, out of the earth; one who digs military mines; as, armies have sappers and miners.

f the regalia of an emperor or other sovereign. It is encircled with bands, enriched with precious stones, and surmounted with a cross; -- called also globe.

Having a true natural luster without being cut; -- applied by jewelers to a precious stone.

A lump; a mass, esp. a native lump of a precious metal; as, a nugget of gold.

Possessing inferior hardness, brilliancy, or beauty; -- used of inferior precious stones and gems, because those found in the Orient are generally superior.

The precious stone called onyx. [R.]

A socket or bezel holding a precious stone; hence, a jewel or ornament worn on the person. A precious stone in a rich ouche. Sir T. Elyot. Your brooches, pearls, and ouches. Shak.

d. Shak. He owned that he had parted from the duke only a few hours before. Macaulay. His precious bag, which he would by no means part from. G. Eliot.

A highly refractive vitreous composition, variously colored, used in making imitations of precious stones or gems. See Strass.

y round, and of fine luster, are highly esteemed as jewels, and compare in value with the precious stones.

Precious stones; jewels. [Obs.] [Written also perre, perrye, etc.] Chaucer.

ates, or with metal, particularly of overlaying a base or dull metal with a thin plate of precious or bright metal, as by mechanical means or by electro-magnetic deposition.

Preciousness; something precious. [Obs.] Sir T. Browne.

With actual presence; actually . [Obs.] His precious body and blood presently three. Bp. Gardiner.

use; to make a base employment of; to debase; to abuse; to defile. So idly to profane the precious time. Shak.

Shining forth; brilliant; effulgent. [Obs.] "Profulgent in preciousness." Chaucer.

One who prospects; especially, one who explores a region for minerals and precious metals.

e of tin, or of tin and lead in various proportions, much used in polishing glass, metal, precious stones, etc.

ody. Mæcenas recommended Virgil and Horace to Augustus, whose praises . . . have made him precious to posterity. Dryden.