ore dressing

American

noun

Metallurgy. the mechanical processes by which valuable minerals are separated from ore.

ore dressing British

noun

Also called: mineral dressing. mineral processing. the first stage in the extraction of a metal from an ore in which as much gangue as possible is removed and the ore is prepared for smelting, refining, etc

"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 ore dressing

First recorded in 1860–65

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.

Milling may be either ore dressing or metallurgy.

From Project Gutenberg

The mechanical processes designed to separate the ore from its enclosing rock or other superfluous earthy matter called gangue became known as ore dressing and ore concentrating.

From Project Gutenberg

It is the foundation of the art of ore dressing, one of the most important parts of metallurgy.

From Project Gutenberg

The question in ore dressing really is whether air can be made to work as well as water.

From Project Gutenberg

Mr. A. G. Charleton, the eminent English mining engineer and author of numerous books, in discussing this question, writes, "Personally, I am of the opinion that ore dressing should be included in mining."

From Project Gutenberg

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