: the worthless rock or vein matter in which valuable metals or minerals occur
Examples of gangue 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.
What’s more, China already has the industrial base to use waste materials like fly ash and gangue as a viable resource for metals.—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 24 May 2026
Word History
Etymology
borrowed from French, going back to Middle French, borrowed from German Gang "walk, course, passageway, mineral vein or seam," going back to Old High German gang "walk, course" — more at gang entry 1