coltan

noun

col·​tan ˈkōl-ˌtan How to pronounce coltan (audio)
: a dull black ore that consists of a mixture of columbite and tantalite and is a minor source of tantalum

Examples of coltan in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Congo is rich in natural resources: rubber, timber, oil, gas, gold, diamonds, copper, lithium, coltan, and cobalt. Amel Mukhtar, Vogue, 5 Mar. 2024 Through interviews with soldiers, politicians, and businesspeople, along with ordinary people, the book explores the role that resources such as gold and coltan played in fueling the conflict. Peter Eichstaedt, Foreign Affairs, 1 Jan. 2011 Manono sits at the southern end of the other major arc of Congolese minerals: the Tin Belt, which stretches north toward Rwanda and yields huge quantities of lithium, tin, and coltan, essential for various forms of high-tech manufacturing. Roger Peet, The New Republic, 30 Aug. 2023 The Orinoco River, which divides Venezuela and Colombia in the Amazon, has been polluted by mining for gold and coltan in the Orinoco Mining Arc. Diana Durán, Washington Post, 9 May 2023 See all Example Sentences for coltan 

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary columbo-tantalite, from columbite + -o- + tantalite

First Known Use

1999, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of coltan was in 1999

Dictionary Entries Near coltan

Cite this Entry

“Coltan.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coltan. Accessed 6 Dec. 2024.

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