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
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
There are complicated social and economic dynamics around the mine, not least of which is the long history of taconite mining in the region — it is known as the Iron Range, after all.
—Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 13 Aug. 2025
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Caitlin Looby, jsonline.com, 25 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
There are complicated social and economic dynamics around the mine, not least of which is the long history of taconite mining in the region — it is known as the Iron Range, after all.
—Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 13 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Taconite.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/taconite. Accessed 2 Apr. 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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