Etymology : Middle English or, oor, partly from Old English Ora ore; partly from Old English Ar brass; akin to Old High German Er bronze, Latin aes copper, bronze
Pronunciation : Or, or
Function : noun
Date : before 12th century
1. natural combination of minerals (especially from which a metal or metals can be profitably extracted). ore\ore\, n. [as. āra; cf. ār brass, bronze, akin to ohg. ēr, g. ehern brazen, icel. eir brass, goth. ais, l. aes, skr. ayas iron. ?210. cf. ora, era.].
2. the native form of a metal, whether free and uncombined, as gold, copper, etc., or combined, as iron, lead, etc. usually the ores contain the metals combined with oxygen, sulphur, arsenic, etc. (called mineralizers).
3. (mining) a native metal or its compound with the rock in which it occurs, after it has been picked over to throw out what is worthless.
4. metal; as, the liquid ore. [r.]ore hearth, a low furnace in which rich lead ore is reduced; -- also called scotch hearth. mond.ore \ore\ (ōr), n. [as. ār.] honor; grace; favor; mercy; clemency; happy augry. [obs.].
5. Honor; grace; favor; mercy; clemency; happy augry.
6. The native form of a metal, whether free and uncombined, as gold, copper, etc., or combined, as iron, lead, etc.
7. Usually the ores contain the metals combined with oxygen, sulphur, arsenic, etc.
8. A native metal or its compound with the rock in which it occurs, after it has been picked over to throw out what is worthless.
9. Metal; as, the liquid ore. a monetary subunit in Denmark and Norway and Sweden; 100 ore equal 1 krona a metal-bearing mineral valuable enough to be mined.
10. Ore is rock or earth from which metal can be obtained. a huge iron ore mine. Oregon. A mineral or an aggregate of minerals from which a valuable constituent, especially a metal, can be profitably mined or extracted. rock or earth from which metal can be obtained. Aggregate of economically important minerals that is sufficiently rich to separate for a profit. Although more than 3,500 mineral species are known, only about 100 are considered ore minerals. The term originally applied only to metallic minerals (see:
native element) but now includes such nonmetallic substances as sulfur, calcium fluoride (fluorite), and barium sulfate (barite). Ore is always mixed with unwanted rocks and minerals, known collectively as gangue. The ore and the gangue are mined together and then separated. The desired element is then extracted from the ore. The metal may be still further refined (purified) or alloyed with other metals. magnetic iron ore bog iron ore hydrothermal ore deposit ore dressing.