mina

mine; lead (pencil core)

noun MEE-nah Rare

Usage Note

Mina has two common uses: an explosive mine (una mina antiuomo, a landmine) and the graphite core of a pencil (la mina della matita). The plural is regular: le mine. Do not confuse with the name Mina (a famous Italian singer).

Examples

"I soldati trovarono una mina nascosta."

Natural Translation

The soldiers found a hidden mine.

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