ore

1 of 4

noun (1)

ˈȯr 

often attributive

1

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

2

: a source from which valuable matter is extracted

ore

2 of 4

noun (2)

ˈər-ə 

plural ore

: a monetary subunit of the krona (Sweden) and krone see krona, krone at Money Table

Ore

3 of 4

abbreviation

variants or Oreg

Oregon

øre

4 of 4

noun (3)

ˈər-ə 

plural øre

1

: a Danish monetary unit equal to ¹/₁₀₀ krone see krone at Money Table

also : a coin representing one Danish øre

Note: Denmark's Faeroe Islands and Greenland also use an øre.

2

: a Norwegian monetary unit equal to ¹/₁₀₀ krone see krone at Money Table

also : a coin representing one Norwegian øre

Examples of ore in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Metinvest is already conducting a large-scale equipment modernisation to produce premium iron ore feedstock (DRI/HBI) for low-carbon steelmaking, exactly what is needed for the EU's 'green' transition. —CBS News, 23 Jan. 2026

The goal is to mine close to nearly 1 million metric tons of ore per year, Sage said, and the mine has enough deposits to maintain that pace for more than a century. —Jordan Blum, Fortune, 21 Jan. 2026

Greenland is rich in iron ore, copper, zinc, graphite, tungsten and more. —Frank Holmes, Forbes.com, 20 Jan. 2026

Beyond rare earths, Greenland is known to contain other strategically valuable resources, including zinc, iron ore, gold, uranium, and potentially offshore oil and gas. —Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 19 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

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

Noun (2)

Swedish öre & Danish & Norwegian øre

Noun (3)

Danish & Norwegian, from Latin aureus a gold coin

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1884, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing ore

• ore dressing

Rhymes for ore

• boar
• boer
• bore
• chore
• cor
• core
• corps
• crore
• door
• drawer
• floor
• flor

Kids Definition

ore

1 of 2 noun

ˈō(ə)r 

ˈȯ(ə)r

: a mineral mined to obtain a substance that it contains

iron ore

ore

2 of 2 noun

ˈər-ə

plural ore

: a unit of value equal to ¹⁄₁₀₀ krona or ¹⁄₁₀₀ krone

Etymology

Noun

Swedish öre and Danish and Norwegian øre