ore

[ awr, ohr ]

/ ɔr, oʊr /

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See synonyms for ore on Thesaurus.com

noun

a metal-bearing mineral or rock, or a native metal, that can be mined at a profit.

a mineral or natural product serving as a source of some nonmetallic substance, as sulfur.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of ore

before 900; conflation of Middle English ore,Old English ōra ore, unreduced metal; and Middle English or(e) ore, metal, Old English ār brass, cognate with Old Saxon, Old High German ēr,Old Norse eir,Gothic aiz; compare Latin aes bronze, coin, money

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH ore

oar, o'er, or, ore

Other definitions for ore (2 of 3)

öre

[ œ-ruh ]

/ ˈœ rə /

noun, plural ö·re.

a bronze coin of Norway, one 100th of a krone.

a zinc or bronze coin of Denmark, one 100th of a krone.

a bronze coin of Sweden, one 100th of a krona.

a fractional currency of the Faeroe Islands, one 100th of a krona.

Also ø·re (for defs. 1, 2) .

Origin of öre

First recorded in 1600–10; ultimately from Latin aureus “a gold coin of ancient Rome”; see aureus

Other definitions for ore (3 of 3)

Ore.

abbreviation

Oregon.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use ore in a sentence

It is a major buyer of Venezuelan oil and gas and Brazilian iron ore.
China’s Nicaragua Canal Could Spark a New Central America Revolution|Nina Lakhani|November 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In China, for example, tungsten, tantalum, tin and gold are mined and ore is imported from other countries.
Helter Smelter No More: Moving to Conflict Free Minerals|Intel|June 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In Portland, Ore., a delusional veteran jumps off the roof of the VA hospital.
VA Pays $200 Million for Nearly 1,000 Veterans’ Wrongful Deaths|Aaron Glantz|April 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Goldfields in Nevada that had been neglected because the ore was just too expensive to extract were now attractive properties.
All that Glitters Is Not Gold: Inside the New Bubble|Wendy Smith|December 5, 2013|DAILY BEAST

Exports—ranging from soy, flowers, copper, and iron ore to computers, appliances, and jets—have boomed.
Latin America’s Secret Success Story|Shannon K. O'Neil|July 16, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Italian ore, generally speaking, is won by running driftways, or tunnelling into the face of the rock.
Asbestos|Robert H. Jones
From the said mixture, although they tried it several times, it was impossible to fuse or melt the said ore.
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume XX, 1621-1624|Various
After cobbing, great care is required in sorting the ore into the respective grades of Nos. 1, 2, and 3.
Asbestos|Robert H. Jones
At half a yard below the shaft we found a lively coppery ore, with its particles of silver.
Life of Richard Trevithick, Volume II (of 2)|Francis Trevithick
This filtration did not happen in Santa Rosa, on account of the quantity of hard copper ore on which the engine is situated.
Life of Richard Trevithick, Volume II (of 2)|Francis Trevithick

British Dictionary definitions for ore (1 of 2)

ore

/ (ɔː) /

noun

any naturally occurring mineral or aggregate of minerals from which economically important constituents, esp metals, can be extracted

Word Origin for ore

Old English ār, ōra; related to Gothic aiz, Latin aes, Dutch oer

British Dictionary definitions for ore (2 of 2)

öre

/ (ˈørə) /

noun plural öre

a Scandinavian monetary unit worth one hundredth of a Swedish krona and (øre) one hundredth of a Danish and Norwegian krone

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

Scientific definitions for ore

ore

[ ôr ]

A naturally occurring mineral or rock from which a valuable or useful substance, especially a metal, can be extracted at a reasonable cost.

Cultural definitions for ore

ore

In geology, a mineral that contains a commercially useful material, such as gold or uranium.

notes for ore

Ore deposits are generally mined, and the ore is processed to recover the material.