taconite
noun
tac·o·nite
ˈta-kə-ˌnīt 
: a flintlike rock high enough in iron content to constitute a low-grade iron ore
Examples of taconite in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Iron ore – or taconite – is the main commodity transported through the Locks, followed by coal, stone and grain products.
—
Caitlin Looby, jsonline.com, 25 Mar. 2026
The Consequences: Mining has long been part of this region—south and west of the Boundary Waters, iron ore and its derivative, taconite, have been heavily extracted for more than a century.
—Stephanie Pearson, Outside, 17 Mar. 2026
On the morning of November 9, 1975, the ship, with its all-American crew of 29, sailed from Superior, Wisconsin, with a cargo of taconite pellets bound for Zug Island in Detroit.
—Doyle Rice, USA Today, 3 Nov. 2025
The Edmund Fitzgerald was loaded with 20,000 tons of taconite, the round iron-ore pellets used to make steel.
—Jamie L. Lareau, Freep.com, 2 Nov. 2025
Bacon takes his time getting to the fateful voyage; there are myriad sidebars of varying interest on topics such as Great Lakes shipping and the rise of taconite, two lake wrecks that foreshadowed the Fitz, even the sailors’ favorite watering holes.
—Kevin Duchschere, Boston Herald, 26 Oct. 2025
Goncalves’ criticism of Minnesota presumably referred to its environmental regulation of the taconite industry, including an ongoing dispute over the state’s wild rice sulfate standard.
—Jimmy Lovrien, Twin Cities, 20 Oct. 2025
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Caitlin Looby, jsonline.com, 25 Mar. 2026
The Consequences: Mining has long been part of this region—south and west of the Boundary Waters, iron ore and its derivative, taconite, have been heavily extracted for more than a century.
—Stephanie Pearson, Outside, 17 Mar. 2026
On the morning of November 9, 1975, the ship, with its all-American crew of 29, sailed from Superior, Wisconsin, with a cargo of taconite pellets bound for Zug Island in Detroit.
—Doyle Rice, USA Today, 3 Nov. 2025
The Edmund Fitzgerald was loaded with 20,000 tons of taconite, the round iron-ore pellets used to make steel.
—Jamie L. Lareau, Freep.com, 2 Nov. 2025
Bacon takes his time getting to the fateful voyage; there are myriad sidebars of varying interest on topics such as Great Lakes shipping and the rise of taconite, two lake wrecks that foreshadowed the Fitz, even the sailors’ favorite watering holes.
—Kevin Duchschere, Boston Herald, 26 Oct. 2025
Goncalves’ criticism of Minnesota presumably referred to its environmental regulation of the taconite industry, including an ongoing dispute over the state’s wild rice sulfate standard.
—Jimmy Lovrien, Twin Cities, 20 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Taconite.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/taconite. Accessed 12 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
taconite
noun
tac·o·nite
ˈtak-ə-ˌnīt
: a flinty rock high enough in iron content to be used as a low-grade iron ore
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