coltan

British

/ ˈkɒlˌtæn /

noun

a metallic ore found esp in the E Congo, consisting of columbite and tantalite (a source of the element tantalum)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of coltan

C20: from _columbite + _tantalite

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The eastern part of DR Congo is replete with vast deposits of key minerals, including gold and coltan.

From Barron's

Eastern Congo is home to large deposits of gold, diamonds and coltan, which is critical in the manufacture of electric vehicles and smartphones.

From The Wall Street Journal

Some were deep underground digging up ore with shovels, others then hoisted sacks of the extracted rock containing coltan, which is used to make many electronic devices, on to their shoulders.

From BBC

Eastern DR Congo is rich in coltan and other resources vital to the global electronics industries.

From BBC

Eastern DR Congo is rich in coltan and other resources vital to global electronics industries.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023