ore

¹ore

noun, often attributive \ˈȯr\

Definition of ORE

1

: a naturally occurring mineral containing a valuable constituent (as metal) for which it is mined and worked

2

: a source from which valuable matter is extracted

Origin of ORE

Middle English or, oor, partly from Old English ōra ore; partly from Old English ār brass; akin to Old High German ēr bronze, Latin aes copper, bronze

First Known Use: before 12th century

Other Mining and Drilling Terms

trepan, wildcat

Rhymes with ORE

boar, Boer, bore, chore, cor, core, corps, crore, door, floor, for, fore, four, frore, gore, Gore, hoar, lore, mor, more, nor, o'er, oar, or, poor, pore, pour, roar, score, shore, snore, soar, sore, splore, spoor, spore, store, Thor, tor, torr, war, whore, yore, your

²ore

noun \ˈər-ə\

plural ore

Definition of ORE

a monetary subunit of the krona (Sweden) and krone — see krona, krone at money table

Origin of ORE

Swedish öre & Dan & Norwegian øre

First Known Use: 1716

Rhymes with ORE

burrow, curragh, furrow, thorough

Ore

abbreviation

Definition of ORE

Oregon

Variants of ORE

Ore or Oreg

ore

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Aggregate of economically important minerals that is sufficiently rich to separate for a profit. Although more than 3,500 mineral species are known, only about 100 are considered ore minerals. The term originally applied only to metallic minerals (see native element) but now includes such nonmetallic substances as sulfur, calcium fluoride (fluorite), and barium sulfate (barite). Ore is always mixed with unwanted rocks and minerals, known collectively as gangue. The ore and the gangue are mined together and then separated. The desired element is then extracted from the ore. The metal may be still further refined (purified) or alloyed with other metals.